Sasuke's Secret
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: Thud! Sasuke falls out of the bed in shock. "What did you say!" He looks up at Itachi, utterly stunned. Sasuke couldn't possibly have heard him right! "I said that I'd help you seduce your Byakugan Princess. It seems like the least I can do, really." Needless to say, things didn't go exactly according to plan.
1. Chapter 1

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** This is a Sasuke x Hinata x Itachi story. For obvious reasons, this isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. Though I feel it is important to note, the brothers' romantic affections will be focused solely on Hinata in this story. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy this tale and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Story Notation:** The first three chapters will be framed either entirely or mostly from one main character's perspective to give you an idea where Sasuke, Hinata, and Itachi are at in the beginning. This chapter is focused on the Sasuke x Hinata side of things, but chapter two will build on that and begin to lay the first real foundations of the Itachi x Hinata side of this triad.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter 1

 _It was over._ The war was finally over and so was perhaps the bloodiest chapter in the history of the Uchiha Clan. He and Itachi had a chance to start over. To rebuild a new Clan, that would be even better than the one that came before.

"Well your pulse is good." A beautiful voice observes. "So is your oxygen." Sasuke doubted that she was even aware he was awake yet, but that was just as well.

Sasuke Uchiha was many things, but delusional wasn't one of them and he would rather not have this feeling squashed so easily. This feeling of hope. Hope that things would be better this time around and that feeling would be utterly destroyed, if the youngest Uchiha indulged in his fantasy for too long.

He knew very well who that voice belonged to. Hinata Hyuga. Some people might find that strange, that he could identify her so easily without even opening his eyes. It wasn't to Sasuke though.

"How is he doing?" Another familiar voice calls out anxiously.

The reason why was simple. Sasuke _loved_ her. Perhaps paradoxically, he had fallen in love with the one girl at the Academy who had never fawned over him. Sasuke doubted that they had ever exchanged more than a few dozen words with each other, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that she was his _everything._

Hinata sighs softly and Sasuke imagines she was likely shaking her head. "Well his vitals are good." Most likely forcing a smile as well. "He should be waking up soon." His Angel was good at that. Hiding her pain behind polite smiles.

"If they're good, why do you look so worried?" Sakura. "What's wrong?" That was who had entered the room.

It made sense, of course. Hinata and Sakura were both medics now. While Sakura was Tsunade's apprentice, the Hyuga Heiress had stumbled into the profession as far as he could tell. During the war, the need for medics had surged drastically and there just hadn't been enough fully trained ones to go around.

So people had improvised. Hinata's chakra control from what he had heard was exceptional. It was that control which allowed her to master the Mystical Palm Technique with ease and well, it seemed like the dark beauty had decided to change her Ninja Specialization. From that of a Combat Ninja to a Medic.

Hinata pauses, probably trying to soften whatever blow she was about to deliver. "It's just when he wakes up, he's going to be in a lot of pain." Sasuke had to restrain himself from smiling at that.

She really was his Angel of Mercy. Hinata was actually worried that he'd be in pain. He doubted anyone else would be, save for Team Seven, Itachi, and Taka. It reminded him so much of the day that he fell in love with her.

 _Two weeks. That's how long it took before the medics and Hokage decided that Sasuke could return to the Academy, after the Massacre. At first, Sasuke had demanded to return sooner. Now, he wished that he had listened to the Third Hokage._

 _He was only seven and his entire world had been torn asunder. A mere fourteen days ago, his beloved brother had turned into a monster. A monster who had butchered every single member of their Clan and now, Sasuke felt like screaming._

 _"S-Sasuke?" At everyone. "I'm r-really sound about what happened to your family." A young girl approached him. She was stuttering and clutching a brown paper bag tightly against her chest._

 _Every time he went anywhere, he'd get those looks. The ones that made Sasuke want to scream and punch something. Those looks of pity that everyone gave him!_

 _For once though, he didn't see pity in someone's eyes. No, in this girl's eyes, he saw only empathy. Somehow, she understood. He wasn't sure how he knew that, he just knew that those beautiful lavender orbs understood what he was feeling. That she didn't feel_ _ **sorry**_ _for him, that she_ _ **sympathized**_ _with him._

 _"Thank you." He blinked as he stared at the awkwardly cute girl with those otherworldly eyes._

 _Hinata nodded and quickly shoved the bag into his hands. "T-These are for you. Naruto says you like them." He blinked and took the bag, opening it curiously._

 _Inside, he found tomatoes. His favorite food. The idiot was actually good for something. Sasuke had mostly been eating whatever was in the house that he didn't have to cook._

 _He didn't have the heart to cook. His mother had taught him how to cook and he didn't want to go out to eat. Then people would just stare at him with more pity. So it was better to eat whatever required as little preparation as possible. Like tomatoes. Though they had always been his favorite._

 _"He's right." Sasuke smiled. "I do like them." And he liked_ _ **her**_ _._

 _She smiled shyly at him. "That's good. I r-remember how sad I was when my mother died." Ohhh. So that's how she knew._

 _That's why she understood. Hinata had lost someone precious to her too. Not her whole family, but still her mother._

 _Mothers were important. Sasuke knew this because of how deeply he missed his own. He wanted to know how Hinata's mother had died, but decided against asking. It would likely only bring up bad memories for her._

 _"It hurts, but it'll be better when I avenge them." He nodded somberly._

 _Itachi was going to pay. He'd make sure of it. That's when a horrifying thought occurred to him._

 _His brother had taken everyone that he ever cared about away from him. What if he killed this girl for being nice to him?! What if Itachi was watching somehow?!_

 _"Oh." Hinata blinked at that, clearly unsure of what to say._

 _"Thanks for the tomatoes." He couldn't be her friend! "I gotta go! I think Iruka is calling for me!" Itachi might kill her too! "I'll see you later!" And with that, he ran off, pretending that their teacher had called out for him. It was the only way to keep her_ _ **safe**_ _!_

After that, Sasuke went out of his way to avoid her. He didn't even look at Hinata, for fear that somehow Itachi would find out. And if Itachi found out, that he'd be responsible for Hinata's death.

It hadn't been hard. Really, it had been ridiculously easy. Hinata was naturally shy to begin with and even if she had wanted to seek him out again, their other classmates would have made that difficult.

"Oh right." Sakura nods. "Well we can always give him more pain medication, if he needs it.

Ino, Sakura, and just about every other girl in their class had fawned over him. Not Hinata though. As the days, weeks, months, and even years passed by, it became devastatingly apparent that Hinata only had eyes for Naruto.

Which is probably why Sasuke was more than happy to fight with the blonde as often as possible on the playground. How dare, he "steal" Hinata away from him? It certainly didn't help matters that the blonde just wouldn't leave him alone and seemed more than willing to fight with him at every opportunity.

Which was just fine with Sasuke. Naruto had provided a safe outlet for all his anger, fear, and frustration. The only downside was that Iruka often butted into their fights. Though the young boy couldn't hold it against Iruka too much. The man was just doing his job.

He dares himself to open his eyes slightly and sees Hinata nodding. "That's true. What about Itachi though?" Itachi was already out of surgery?

It was hard to see with his eyes mostly closed, but Sasuke manages. He tilts his head to the side and notices another bed a few feet away. His brother was laying on it.

"His surgery was in some ways even more intense than Sasuke's." Sakura sighs as if exhausted. "I'm not sure how he's still alive, considering how severe his condition was. The medication that we found on him must have helped to a degree, but still."

 _Helpless._ It wasn't right. His brother looked so helpless laying on that hospital bed, covered by those damn white sheets.

Sasuke hated white sheets. His hatred of them burned hotter than any flames of his Amaterasu and for good reason. That's what they had used to "hide" his family's bodies from him and carried them away to prepare them for burial.

"Get them off him." He didn't want those sheets anywhere near his brother. "Now."

In his more rational mind, Sasuke knew that he had just blown his "cover." He didn't care though. Those sheets symbolized death in his mind and he didn't want them on Itachi.

Not when he knew the truth. Itachi wasn't an ruthless killer who butchered their Clan without remorse. He was the unwitting assassin and martyr. His brother had sacrificed everything for this village, save for his life and only a handful of people even knew it!

"You're awake!" Sakura's eyes stare at him in surprise.

Sasuke manages a weak nod. "Yes. Get them off of him." The drugs in his system were making him sluggish. The entire room was spinning, but that wouldn't stop him.

Hinata was watching him with concern. "Sasuke, you really shouldn't be moving right now." That briefly made him smile. "You just got out of surgery and what do you want off of him?"

He knew that he must have seemed half mad at the moment and maybe he was. The Hyuga woman was still trying to comfort him though, even after all these years. Naruto had her love, but at least Sasuke had her kindness and well that was something.

"The sheets." It was better than nothing. "Get those sheets off Itachi, please." And far more than he deserved.

"Why?" Sakura looks at him in confusion.

Hinata just walks over and slides the sheets off Itachi. The bluenette probably thought he was just disoriented from the dugs, but was still "humoring" him anyway. "Are these better?" She gestures to some purple sheets.

Sasuke nods. Purple was better than white. White meant death. He knew that he was being irrational, but he wasn't quite coherent enough to care.

"Wait. Were the sheets dirty?" His teammate looks even more confused.

Hinata shakes her head. "I don't think so, but I'd rather not stress him out over sheet color." She definitely humoring him.

Not that it particularly mattered. Hinata could think he was crazy or just disoriented from his surgery, if she wanted. It was probably better that way.

"Yeah. I guess so." Sakura nods in agreement.

"D-Don't mind my foolish little brother." Sasuke's eyes widen. "He's always been rather easily d-distracted." Itachi was awake!

Sakura rushes over to Itachi and quickly checks him over. Probably looking at his vitals, but the younger Uchiha knew that was a foolish pursuit. Itachi had constantly defied the odds, even when it came to his health.

If his brother was awake enough to talk, it was because he was ready to be awake. Though Sasuke really wished that Itachi had woken up back home. In his own bed, instead of in a hospital bed.

Inside a hospital, that was surrounded by that damn clinical scent. Sasuke couldn't even begin to really describe that smell, but every hospital had it. He hated hospitals even more than he hated white sheets!

"You shouldn't be moving around or speaking." Sakura shakes her head in disapproval. "You're lucky to be alive. You just got out of surgery not that long ago." Was Sakura really lecturing Itachi? Oh that wouldn't end well.

Itachi faintly chuckles before launching into a coughing fit. "Yes, I'll be more careful. Perhaps you and your colleague would be kind enough to get us something to eat?" That coughing fit was fake. "Pudding for my foolish little brother and if you have it, cabbage soup for myself." Sasuke knew the difference between a real Itachi cough and a fake one. What was he up to?

Oh and seriously? Cabbage soup? Who ordered that because they _wanted_ it? His brother could be really strange sometimes, even Hinata looked surprised at his request.

"Alright." She blinks. "We'll go get it, if you need anything just hit the red button by your bed for an emergency and green for a regular request." Though Sasuke notes with some amusement that her stutter was gone. That or maybe, she just wasn't nervous around patients.

"Understood." Itachi smiles at her and Sasuke nods in agreement.

Mercifully, Sakura and Hinata leave together. That meant, he could talk to Itachi. He really needed to talk to Itachi. About everything.

* * *

Though that didn't mean that Sasuke wasn't going to enjoy the view for a moment. He had fallen in love with her because of her kindness, but she most certainly wasn't a child anymore.

Naruto was a complete idiot. Hinata was beautiful and the sway of her hips was mesmerizing. How his best friend hadn't noticed the beautiful heiress who obviously adored him yet, well that was beyond Sasuke's comprehension.

"I'm relieved honestly." Itachi smiles at him.

For so long, revenge had been what Sasuke thought about most and when he did think about Hinata, it was an idealized chaste version of love. When he left the Leaf, he'd only been about twelve or thirteen and she had been a girl.

Now, she was definitely a woman. While Sasuke certainly prided himself on the fact that he was not a man who was lead around by his kunai, the youngest Uchiha could appreciate beauty when he saw it. And there was no denying the way that Hinata filled out that medic uniform, certainly qualified.

He was so busy admiring the view of Hinata's retreating backside, that he almost didn't hear Itachi. "Relieved about what?" Though he did.

Itachi just shakes his head in amusement. "To see that you still desire bonds." He glances at the door. "Particularly, romantic ones and I must say that your taste is exceptional."

Sasuke immediately froze. Damn it. It seemed that his younger self had been right. One look was all it took and Itachi already knew. Had he really been staring that openly?

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He'd just deny it.

If he denied it enough, Itachi might let the matter drop. Maybe, he could even convince his brother that he had just imagined things. That Itachi had merely thought he saw Sasuke admiring Hinata's feminine curves because he was still disoriented from his surgery. Yeah. That sounded like a plan.

Itachi rolls his eyes. "We're likely going to be here awhile." He sighs in irritation at that. "So if nothing else, you'll be able to admire your medic as much as you like in the foreseeable future, even if you wish to pretend that isn't what you were doing."

Medic. There had been two medics. Was it possible that Itachi thought Sasuke was admiring Sakura? He didn't know whether that made things better or worse.

"You're imagining things." He shrugs and then cries out in agony. "AHHH!" Moving his shoulder after an arm transplant, had been a very bad idea.

Itachi's stares at Sasuke in horror. "Sasuke! Don't move around so much!" Yeah. Sasuke had learned his lesson.

"It's fine." He grunts in agony. "It'll go away." He'd just moved too fast. Getting an arm transplant wasn't fun.

Still, he'd be better able to protect the Leaf with two arms instead of one. Better able to protect Naruto, Itachi, and her. So he'd just suffer the indignities of recovery.

Itachi shakes his head at him. "You've always been foolish. So how long have you been in love with the Hyuga woman?" Oh.

Itachi already knew which one. That was probably a bad sign. Well at least Itachi could keep a secret, Sasuke thinks to himself bitterly.

No one could keep a secret better than Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke still couldn't believe how easily he had fallen for his brother's lies. One didn't suddenly transform from a loving brother to a ruthless clan slayer overnight.

Sasuke's only defense was that he had been seven at the time. "What makes you think that I'm in love with anyone, let alone her?" Easily manipulated, especially by someone he admired.

"I might have come close to it, but I'm not blind." Right. Itachi had revived during the war and with it, all the damage that had been done to his original body was reversed. "I saw the way you looked at her."

Great. There was no denying it now. He'd just have to swallow his pride and confess. At least to Itachi.

Sasuke sighs. "Since we were children." Besides, his brother would likely find out anyway. "It doesn't matter though." No one could keep a secret from Itachi Uchiha.

"Why do you say that?" Itachi raises an eyebrow. "Because of what you did before the war?" Well yeah. That and other reasons. "She didn't seem particularly adverse to you a few moments ago." That's because it was Hinata.

No matter what she thought of a patient, Sasuke was sure she would have done her job. That and well, Hinata didn't have a cruel streak in her. She probably would have cried, if someone had stepped on a butterfly or something.

He would have shrugged, if such an action wouldn't have caused him complete agony. "That and other reasons." She was in love with Naruto. "Even if I hadn't done all those horrible things, it'd be irrelevant. Her heart belongs to someone else."

There. Maybe, Itachi would let the matter drop. If nothing else, there Clan was a rather monogamous one.

His memories of the time before the Massacre were perfectly etched into his mind. One thing he remembered was that Uchihas rarely strayed and if they did, well the rest of the Clan made it known that such behavior wouldn't be tolerated. It was a matter of pride, honor, and practicality. After all, the Sharingan was a bloodline. Bloodlines had to be protected.

"Oh I see." Itachi sighs wistfully and gives Sasuke a sympathetic look. "Well is she already involved with this other person?"

Sasuke shakes his head. "No. Not really." He pauses and clarifies. "They're friends and comrades, that appears to be it at the moment."

Itachi knew what that meant. It was hard to tell who he felt more sorry for, Sasuke thinks to himself. Him or Hinata. Being in love with someone who only saw you as a friend, well that was painful.

"Has he rejected her advances?" The other Uchiha tilts his head.

Well it was Naruto. "In his own oblivious way, yes." Sasuke had heard what happened during Pain's attack.

Hinata had sacrificed herself for Naruto. Declared her love for him and the idiot, hadn't really responded. Of course, they had been fighting for their lives at the time, so that was forgivable. Still, he should have responded afterward!

"Oblivious." Itachi shakes his head. "The woman you love is in love with your best friend? You have my sympathy, foolish little brother." Wonderful.

Though Sasuke couldn't help, but smirk. "I said oblivious and you immediately connected it to Naruto." Then again, that was obvious.

Itachi shakes his head and suddenly, Sasuke was overcome with a feeling of dread. God only knows what Itachi was planning now. He didn't like the way his brother was looking at him.

"Naruto is kind, brave, and loyal to his friends." The elder Uchiha glances at the clock. "Though he does strike me as the type who is rather innocent in love. He wouldn't understand when a woman was interested or if he did, he might just be afraid of hurting her feelings."

Sasuke nods in understanding. "That's true." The younger Uchiha would die to protect Naruto, but the man was utterly oblivious when it came to women!

Itachi glances back at Sasuke and Sasuke gulps again. He was doing that thing again. That thing were just by looking at him, his brother could somehow read his soul!

"He gave her the Friend Speech, didn't he?" Again with the raised eyebrow.

There was no point in lying, about it. "Sounds like it." He had heard Hinata's quivering voice as she told Sakura what had happened. Apparently, the Hyuga Princess had pressed the issue at some point and Naruto had tried to gently brush aside her feelings.

Itachi shakes his head as if he was somehow disappointed in Sasuke. That just made the younger ninja feel even worse. It was bad enough that he was in love with someone who was in love with his best friend, but now he had suffer through his brother's pitying looks.

"So you're telling me that you've had feelings for this woman since childhood?" Sasuke nods. Again, there was no point in denying it.

Itachi would find out somehow. Sasuke wouldn't put it past his brother to trap him in a Genjutsu and pry the truth from his mind, if necessary. His brother was definitely a ninja who believed the ends justified the means.

"Yes." He might as well be honest. "I didn't want to get too close to her though because I knew that I would eventually have to fight you and I didn't want her to get hurt." Sasuke sighs and shakes his head. "Which is irrelevant, because she's in love with someone else."

Itachi shakes his head as though he was **thoroughly** disappointed. "She's in love with Naruto who only sees her as a friend and comrade." He somehow manages to scoot his bed closer to Sasuke and to poke his forehead. "Meaning that while your secret pining is very noble and morbidly romantic, it is unnecessary."

Owe! Sasuke really wished Itachi would knock it off with the forehead thing. That hurt!

"Stop doing that!" He glares at Itachi.

Itachi just smirks in response. "I'll stop poking your forehead, when you stop being foolish." Sasuke twitches. Oh he'd show his brother who was foolish, once his arm was healed!

He loved Itachi and was grateful that the truth had finally come out. That didn't meant that he wasn't going to train with him at some point and train hard. And if he happened to whack his beloved brother around like a pinata a few times during that training for his cheek, well that was a cross Sasuke was more than willing to bare!

"Whatever." Sasuke rolls his eyes.

"If Naruto doesn't return her feelings, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't pursue her." Itachi smiles.

Wait. What?! Itachi was out of his mind! There were a million reasons!

"You mean besides the fact that most of the ninja world is terrified of me, her family would never approve, she's in love with Naruto, and I've only ever spoken to her twice?!" Those seemed like damn good reasons not to pursue her.

Itachi actually clucks his tongue at him as he pokes Sasuke's forehead _again_. "I'll admit all that is potentially problematic, but love is love." Potentially problematic?! "If you truly love her, you'll never forgive yourself for not at least telling her how you feel."

Well he had a point there. The what ifs, would eventually drive him crazy. Still, at least this way, he wouldn't put her in an awkward situation.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't even know where to begin." Sasuke shakes his head. "And she'd never return my feelings anyway."

He couldn't be more different than her. That much was obvious. Eventually, maybe Naruto would wise up and the two of them would have hyper active blonde babies with the Byakugan. And it would kill Sasuke, but he would force himself to smile for them. That was just the way it was going to be.

"Sasuke, don't make me poke you again." Itachi shakes his head. "This is my fault really. I'm the one who stunted your emotional development and you've probably never looked at another woman. It's only natural that your seduction skills would need work." He smiles at him. "That's okay though. I'm more than willing to teach you."

THUD! Sasuke falls out of his hospital bed in shock. There was no way that Itachi possibly could have said that!

"W-What'd you say?" He gapes at his older brother from his position on the floor.

Itachi smiles at Sasuke and leans down, trying to help him up. "I said, that I'd teach you how to seduce your little Byakugan Princess." Itachi was actually serious? "It seems like the least that I can do, really."


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy Itachi's Chapter.

 **Request Response:** To the Guest Reviewer, who wanted the Sasuke x Hinata Cannon Story that lines up with Boruto, maybe. Though it wouldn't be for awhile because I already have so many stories going. I'd be willing to discuss it though.

Chapter 2

Alright. Itachi had known that his _offer_ was going to stun his foolish little brother, but he hadn't known it would shock him **that** much. "I said, that I'd teach you how to seduce your little Byakugan Princess." He hadn't expected Sasuke to actually fall off the bed in shock. "It seems like the least I can do, really."

Sasuke was now openly gaping at him and to be fair, his reaction wasn't entirely unwarranted. It must have seemed rather bizarre to his brother. That Itachi would offer to help him in such a personal matter, given everything that had happened between them.

"Itachi, I know your heart is in the right place." Why did Itachi sense a _but_ coming? "But as I've already said, it's pointless." Well with an attitude like that, it most certainly was!

The elder Uchiha could only shake his head at Sasuke's pessimistic view of things. Of course, Itachi would freely admit the odds were not entirely in his brother's favor. Still, he'd beaten the odds before.

Over and over, actually. He'd survived to adulthood, despite severe emotional and physical trauma. Sasuke had activated the Rinnegan and helped to defeat Madara. He'd survived having his arm blown off and was slowly, but surely pulling himself out of the Darkness that he had fallen into. And despite everything, Sasuke had forgiven him and seemed ready to close a very dark chapter in his life.

He couldn't help, but roll his eyes. "I think you underestimate yourself and me far too much in this regard." Itachi's eyes flicker back to Sasuke assessing him. "If nothing else, you have your pretty face to win her over with."

"My _pretty_ face?!" Sasuke twitches in outrage.

Itachi simply nods though, trying his best not to laugh at his foolish little brother's indignation. "Yes, your pretty face." The elder Uchiha smiles. "You always did take after mother and if memory serves, you were rather popular at the Academy with the girls your age."

Sasuke looked like he was going to go into a fit upon hearing that. Itachi knew that he probably shouldn't tease his brother in such a fashion. It was just undeniably fun to do so and it had been a very long time, since the young man had indulged in anything purely for the sake of his own amusement. So really, he supposed he could be forgiven for his childish behavior.

"That's a little different." Sasuke rolls his eyes as he slowly calms down. "That was the _Academy_." Apparently, sensing that Itachi was enjoying his outrage just a little too much. "We're adults now." True.

An Academy Flirtation was a far cry from the love that existed between adults. Still, Itachi hadn't been entirely joking. Sasuke was fortunate when it came to his looks and well, he might as well use that to his advantage.

Beauty was only skin deep, but it was always helpful when the object of your affections considered you attractive. First things first though, they were going have to do something about Sasuke's wardrobe. That purple abomination that he wore around his waist had to go. That was mandatory.

He nods in understanding. "Naturally, but I'm merely saying it doesn't hurt that most women would consider you attractive." Itachi was likely going to have to start in the beginning.

Sasuke shrugs at that and then hisses in pain. "AHHHH!" This was going to take some work.

"Foolish little brother, don't shrug your shoulders." Itachi hated to see Sasuke in pain, but he also knew that it was somewhat necessary. "And lets say, that the two of you were complete strangers. That there were no real obstacles standing in your way." It made his brother stronger. "How would you approach her?"

At first, Itachi thought Sasuke was going to be difficult. "If we were complete strangers?" Apparently though, he was just thinking over his answers. "I don't know. I guess I'd give her flowers?"

Itachi wanted to smack his forehead in frustration, but he refrains. He was still too weak from his surgery to make unnecessary movements and honestly, this was his fault. It was his fault that Sasuke had only the most rudimentary idea how to approach a woman.

"Flowers?" He looks at Sasuke incredulously.

Sasuke looks away and seems to be sulking slightly. "Well it worked for father." True. "And most women seem to like them. So I don't see what you're giving me that look for."

In Sasuke's defense, it wasn't a horrible answer. He was correct. Most women did like flowers, but it was just so incredibly _basic_.

"That's true, but you're thinking like a Genin." It was probably a good thing that he hadn't died. "Not a Kage." How was Sasuke ever supposed to restore their Clan, if that was his version of seduction?!

Sasuke raises an eyebrow and looks at Itachi suspiciously. "What do Ninja Ranks have to do with this?" Right. He'd have to explain the metaphor.

This was going to take awhile. "One can compare romantic experience level to ninja levels." He shakes his head in amusement. "In this case, you're acting like a Genin. Your technique is very basic, but that's alright." They'd just have to start from the beginning. "We can build off that foundation easily enough."

* * *

Sasuke was about to say something, when Hinata and Sakura came carrying their food. Pudding for Sasuke and cabbage soup for him. Well if nothing else, at least one of them was kind enough to grant his request. Maybe, both of them.

Itachi could see why Sasuke would be attracted to the Hyuga Woman. Like most members of her Clan, she had a classical beauty about her. Something about their lavender eyes, creamy skin, and refined aristocratic features was very appealing, even to someone like Itachi who normally didn't bother to give such matters a great deal of thought.

"You probably should eat with your original arm for the moment." Hinata smiles at Sasuke in concern. "Your new one's nerves haven't completely connected yet." It was a sweet smile.

That was probably another reason. The woman seemed to give off an aura of gentleness. Completely unassuming and soothing. Sasuke needed that and well the unintentionally seductive sway of her hips probably had something to do with his attraction towards her.

He nods at her. "Got it." It was a mark of his love for her that his foolish little brother was actually being a good patient for once.

"Thank you for the soup." Itachi smiles at Sakura as he tries to eat, but to his frustration finds that even holding a spoon properly was difficult. "Damn it."

Sakura nods and helps him eat. That was utterly humiliating. So much for him teaching Sasuke how to be seductive today! He couldn't even eat properly!

"And don't worry." Sakura smiles as she feeds him. "Hinata and I already know the truth." They did? Well that explained a great deal.

For instance, neither of them was looking at Itachi with hatred or fear. Though that did bring several questions to mind. How many people knew the truth and how were they reacting to it?

He glances out the window. Hmm. No riots. The sky was a beautiful shade of deep blue, the birds were chirping, and the Sakura Blossoms were even blooming. It almost seemed like none of the horrors of the past had actually happened. Like it had all been just one long nightmare.

Sasuke narrows his eyes and looks at Sakura. "How many know? His brother was right to be wary. That was the sort of thing that could easily cause a panic.

"J-Just the hospital staff." Oh. Well that was practical. "We didn't want anyone who might be treating the two of you to g-get the wrong idea." Of course, the medical staff wouldn't take too kindly to treating someone they perceived to be as a ruthless serial killer and whatever they thought Sasuke was.

Itachi smiles serenely at the poor woman. "It's alright." He sighs and shakes his head. "I'm not angry and I doubt Sasuke is either, we just wanted to make sure that a public panic hadn't started while we were recovering from our surgeries."

Lavender and vanilla. The scent was drifting through the air and tickling his nose. It wasn't close enough to be coming from Sakura. That must have been Hinata's perfume or something of that nature.

A subtle, but soothing combination. One that was perhaps, even unintentionally alluring. It suited her. His foolish little brother really had chosen well. Wait. He was getting distracted.

"Oh." Hinata nods. "Good." Sasuke was certainly going to have to work on softening up his rough edges with this one.

Hinata seemed a very gentle and soft spoken woman. Eager to please. Perhaps, even skittish. It was a good thing that she was a medic, Itachi decides.

He didn't doubt her ability in combat, but this was a better specialization for someone with the Hyuga Heiress's temperament. That much was obvious.

"I must say this is quite the first." Itachi chuckles.

His foolish little brother needed some help. So it feel to him to break the ice. And he would do so gladly.

"What do you mean?" Sakura looks at Itachi with confusion.

It was really the least he could do. "A Hyuga administering care to Uchihas." He smiles serenely. "I don't believe that our Clans have ever interacted much before."

Sasuke blinks and gives Itachi an incredulous look. Well hopefully, his brother would get the hint. He was trying to give him an opening to for an actual conversation with Hinata!

"Oh." Hinata nods. "That's true. I think that was mostly because you had your own District and we have our Estate." The bluenette pauses. "I don't think that it was anything personal."

Itachi highly doubted that. Most likely, the Hyuga Elders had decided to keep the two Clans from mingling. Probably because they feared the Sharingan might be dominant over the Byakugan, a new bloodline forming, or even the his Clan gaining a permanent foothold in their Clan.

"We're going to rebuild it." Sasuke smiles at Hinata. "Though we're also going to spread out more." Good. Smiles were good. "The isolation wasn't a good thing for our Clan and maybe this time around, we can forge stronger bonds with other Clans."

Perfect! Yes! Stronger bonds like marriages that would result in adorably foolish nieces and nephews for him. Good! Much better!

Hinata returns the smile. "That would be nice." She nods as she fluffs his pillow. "It's not good to be alone."

Sasuke probably thought he was being subtle, but Itachi knew exactly what the other man was doing. He was admiring the view of Hinata's breasts which were likely far closer to Sasuke than they ever had been before. A breast ninja then.

Well Itachi couldn't blame him. That was a very lovely bosom from what he could tell. He was more interested in a firm backside himself, but to each their own!

"I'm really glad to hear that!" Sakura beams at Sasuke. "Well come on, Hinata." She smiles at her friend. "We should tell Lady Tsunade that their up and that they're trying to eat." They had to be friends. That smile was too warm for them not to be.

Hinata nods in agreement. "Remember to hit the buttons, if you need anything." And with that, the two medics quickly head off.

* * *

Sasuke gives Itachi a dirty look. "What were you thinking?" Oh. His foolish little brother was definitely not happy with him. "Talking about Clan Relations like that and not giving me any warning!"

Yes, Itachi could fully understand why Sasuke was irritated with him. Still, it had to be done. How else was he ever going to see those adorable nephews and nieces of his?

"You need to actually talk to the woman, if you're going to have any hope of winning her affections." He smiles slyly at Sasuke. "And if you ever actually want the privilege of touching her breasts, rather than just admiring them."

Sasuke sputters and his face turns a rather impressive shade of red. Ruby red. It matched his Sharingan perfectly.

"I was not looking down her uniform!" Itachi didn't believe that for a minute. "When did you turn into such a pervert?" Hmm. Good question.

Well Itachi didn't consider himself to be a pervert. That had such a negative connotation to it. It was just that he enjoyed the admiring the feminine form as much as the next man.

Unfortunately, he hadn't been allowed to form attachments. Mostly, this admiration had taken place during missions for the Akatsuki, but still. There was absolutely nothing wrong with reveling in the more sensual side of life.

Itachi couldn't help, but roll his eyes at Sasuke's response. "Yes, you were." Why he wanted to feign innocence was beyond him. "And while I shouldn't encourage such behavior, it's a perfectly natural reaction." This was going to take a lot of work.

"Whatever." Sasuke rolls his eyes.

The audacity of Sasuke, really! Itachi was just trying to help him and he dared to roll his eyes at him? Hmm. If he wasn't feeling so exhausted, he would have gone in for a forehead poke.

He shakes his head though. "Not that I can blame you." Itachi smiles, deciding to indulge in his favorite pastime. "The woman does have some exceptional cleavage." Teasing his foolish little brother.

"If you keep talking about her like that, I'm going to smack you." Sasuke glares at him. "You're starting to sound far too much like Jiraiya."

Oh. Jiraiya. Bless that man. Not only was he one of the most formidable ninjas that Itachi had ever met, he was also quite the skilled author.

Hmm. That wasn't a bad idea. Perhaps, Sasuke would benefit from expanding his horizons as it pertained to erotic literature.

"Jiraiya was a very wise man and perhaps the most well-adjusted of the Sannin." Itachi nods sagely.

Sasuke twitches. Apparently, his brother didn't agree. "Well-adjusted?! He was a powerful ninja, but the man spent most of his free time spying on women's bathhouses."

Well maybe most of his time was a stretch, but Itachi privately concedes Sasuke did have something of a valid point. "He was a ninja worthy of respect and you would do well to emulate his example, save for the last part." Itachi shakes his head. "As I was saying earlier, you're acting as though you're at Genin Level."

"Uh huh." He raises an eyebrow incredulously. "And what level do you imagine that you're at?" Damn it. This was going to get awkward.

Itachi was not by any stretch of the imagination a man who was too free with his affections. It was just when he indulged in the sensual arts, he tended to do so in excess with the relatively modest number of partners he had had over the years.

"According to skill level, I'm at Kage level." It was probably best to clarify. "I'm rather selective when it comes to who shares my bed, but it's the quality not the quantity that matters."

Sasuke makes a rather adorably childish face at that. "I didn't need to hear that." He shakes his head. "Besides, I doubt whatever worked on them will work on Hinata."

That was a fair point. While there were some things that were nearly universal, everyone was an individual. Hinata was far shyer and more modest than most of his previous lovers.

That wouldn't stop him though. "True enough. You of course will need to start off slowly." From helping his foolish little brother win over his princess.

Sasuke twitches again. "You're not serious about this." He was doing a lot of that lately.

Hopefully, Sasuke would cease being so stubborn. His life would be a lot easier, when he would just accept the fact that his elders sometimes knew what they were talking about. In this case, Itachi knew more about women than his foolish little brother did. So Sasuke should just be quiet and listen!

"I'm very serious about this." He sighs heavily. "It still weighs heavily on me, what happened to our family." That wasn't a lie. "The least that I can do is to help you restore our Clan in whatever way I can." He still saw their faces and heard their cries in his sleep to this very day. "And if that means teaching you how to be a man, so be it!"

His brother was likely going to have a fit soon. "I'm already a man." In most ways, yes. In other ways, not so much. "Could a child defeat Madara?!"

No. A child most certainly couldn't defeat Madara, but that wasn't what Itachi meant and Sasuke had to know that. Fine. He was going to be difficult about this. They would just have to do things the hard way.

"That's not what I meant." Itachi wasn't liking where this was going. "If you want to seduce a woman, it's likely going to take more than flowers." Still, he had to be blunt. "Though they are a good start." That didn't mean that he was going to crush Sasuke's self-esteem though.

Sasuke pauses. Clearly, his pride and his curiosity were at war. "Alright. Well, Mr. Kage, how would you go about doing it then?" He glances at Itachi warily. "If you were in my sandals, how would you get Hinata to see you that way?"

Itachi almost wanted to laugh. It was so damn cute. This is probably what Sasuke would have asked him around the time he became a Genin, if things had been different.

"Hinata as I said is a shy woman." He nods sagely. "You'll have to start off slowly. Be a good patient for her, smile, and actually talk to her." This wasn't the type of woman that you could just seduce easily.

He chuckles as an image of Hinata blushing as red as Sasuke did enters his mind. The poor girl would likely faint, if Sasuke (or anyone) attempted to use Kage Level Seduction Tactics on her!

Sasuke nods in understanding, his gaze idly landing on some sunflowers that someone had left him. "What am I supposed to talk to her about?" Probably someone from Team Seven, Itachi muses to himself. That would make the most sense.

"Ask her about her family, her teammates, her interests?" Did Sasuke even know what interested Hinata. "Something that she will feel comfortable speaking about. The two you haven't interacted much in the past." Getting Hinata to feel comfortable around him was key for the moment.

"That sounds more like I'm trying to convince her to be my friend." Exactly. "Than to win her love." Best to start off slow.

Itachi nods his head approvingly. "Precisely." He smirks at Sasuke. "Don't worry. This is just Genin Stuff, by Chunin she might actually let you caress those breasts of hers you seem to like so much."

At this, Sasuke chucks a pillow at his brother. Well, Itachi supposed he had that one coming. "You're such a damn deviant." He was playing with fire and that much was obvious, but Sasuke was just so ridiculously endearing when he was angry.

Still, the elder Uchiha didn't understand why Sasuke thought being a deviant was a bad thing. In the proper context, it could be a most enjoyable thing to be. Oh wait.

"And speaking of deviancy, did the Academy ever get around to explaining _kunais and pouches_ to you?" Hopefully, they had.

This was going to get incredibly awkward otherwise. Then again, it was possible someone in the Sound might have explained things to Sasuke. Seduction techniques were one thing, explaining the mechanics of _Clan Restoration_ was another!

"I can't believe you just asked me that!" Sasuke scoffs and his lips curl in distaste. "Of course, I know about that!" Good.

"Excellent. Hmm." Now, to find out more about this woman who had captured his brother's heart. "What do we know about Hinata?"

Understandably, Sasuke looks a little uncomfortable. Again, that was Itachi's fault. Sasuke used to be far more open about his feelings. Anyway, they'd work on that later.

"She's the Heiress of the Hyuga Clan." His brother did aim high. "She has a younger sister named Hanabi, whom she seems close to." They could exploit that fact later. "Her relationship with her father from what I can gather has improved over the years. Hiashi isn't the warmest man and I blame him for her formerly skittish nature."

Interesting. Formerly. Sasuke believed Hinata was less skittish now. Surely, there had to be a good reason for this.

"And why do you describe her skittish nature as being past tense?" He smiles at Sasuke encouragingly.

His brother looks out the window. "She was willing to face Pain for Naruto. Hinata stutters less now and I haven't seen her faint once, since I woke up." Fainting?!

What was this about fainting?! Did his future Sister-In-Law have some sort of medical condition? That could be potentially problematic, especially if she was ever going to give him nieces and nephews!

"Well that's good." Itachi still needed to know though. "Why did she use to faint so much though?"

Sasuke sighs and clenches his fists. "Naruto." Ohhh. "She fainted because of Naruto." There was definitely some jealousy there.

Itachi shakes his head. "Well hopefully, she's outgrown the habit." He smiles at Sasuke. "What else do you know?"

"She's shy, observant, did well on our written exams at the Academy, and she's very close to her team." His brows scrunch in concentration. "Particularly, her Kurenai." Well that made sense.

Sasuke hadn't mentioned anything about Hinata's mother and it was easy to tell why. Emiko Hyuga had died when Itachi was barely old enough to know who she was. Kurenai was likely the closest thing she had to a mother.

"And what would you put her romantic experience level at? Do you know why she had such fondness for Naruto?" Itachi hated to ask the last question, but it was necessary.

The younger Uchiha clenches his fists more. "If I'm a Genin, she's an Academy Student. I don't faint around her like she did for Naruto." Such an accomplishment. "Something about at scarf. Naruto saved her from some bullies when she was younger and she's held a special admiration for him ever since."

Ah. A childhood rescue. That was tough to compete with, but if Naruto didn't hold any romantic feelings for Hinata, that would make things much easier. They'd figure this out.

"Well she apparently never forgets a kindness." Itachi nods. "So you should start by being kind to her."

Sasuke blinks. "I'm not…good at that." Itachi could see it written all over Sasuke's face. He might have well have said that he didn't have a prayer.

Itachi shakes his head and looks at his brother encouragingly. "You're very good at being kind when you want to be. You're just out of practice. We'll get it figured out." He smiles at him. "And in no time at all, I'll have some cute nieces and nephews to spoil." Itachi reaches over and pokes Sasuke's forehead.

* * *

The other man was about to respond and possibly Chidori him when Hinata walks in. "We told Lady Tsunade that you're up." She blinks upon noticing that Sasuke was missing a pillow and had apparently thrown it at Itachi. "I didn't mention the pillow fight though." The Hyuga woman laughs softly.

She had a beautiful laugh. Itachi couldn't deny that and it was no mystery why Sasuke had fallen for her. Now, he just had to transform his Genin of a brother into a Kage.

It really shouldn't be **that** hard. After all, Sasuke was an Uchiha. It was in their Clan's nature to be passionate about all manner of things. And as a certain Byakugan Princess was about to find out, that passion was displayed in equal measure on and off the battlefield.


	3. Chapter 3

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Anyway, onto the Hinata Chapter! This is something of a fluff chapter, but I do hope that there will be a bit of everything in this tale. So fear not my angst and happy ending lovers! Oh and by the way, do feel free to weigh in on how you would like chapter for to be framed. From Sasuke's, Itachi's, Hinata's, or a mix of perspective(s)?

 **Chapter Notation:** Sakura is going to engage in some meddling. For anyone who is a bit thrown for a loop by this, it is because she believes Itachi likes Hinata. If Sakura knew that it was Sasuke, her reaction would likely be drastically different.

Chapter 3

Hinata wasn't really sure what she expected to find when she walked into the "Lion's Den," but this wasn't it. "We already told Lady Tsunade that you're up." Apparently, Sasuke had thrown a _pillow_ at Itachi! "I didn't mention the pillow fight though." The very thought made her laugh.

She was suddenly tempted to tell the other medics about this. The Hyuga woman couldn't believe it. _This_ was the Lions' Den that everyone was so afraid of?

Itachi further surprises her by laughing. "Thank you." He smiles at her as if this was all perfectly normal. "We do appreciate that." The elder Uchiha Brother glances at Sasuke. "Especially, Sasuke. He has something of a reputation to protect and I'm quite certain that Naruto would never let him live this down."

That's what the room was now being called. The Lions' Den. Apparently, Itachi and Sasuke were supposed to be the lions.

Sasuke twitches and glares at Itachi. "Trust me, Hinata." The blunette was suddenly reminded of the old expression. "He deserved it!" The raven haired ninja was very good at _"glaring daggers at someone."_

Before she started treating them, Hinata could certainly understand where that nickname came from. The Uchiha Brothers definitely reminded her of lions. Proud, strong, graceful, and certainly they were "pride animals." And woe to anyone, that got too close to the lions' teeth or claws.

It was a bit harder to think of them that way now though. When she knew they were having of all things, pillow fights. Hinata couldn't help, but giggle at that thought.

"He exaggerates." Itachi shrugs and yawns.

They were still all those things of course, but they just seemed so much less intimidating now. The two of them seemed for all the world to her, like a normal pair of brothers. Brothers who fought and teased each other, but weren't trying to kill each other.

It was quite the stunning transformation to say the least. Gone was that well-crafted mirage of a cold-blooded killer who would slaughter nearly his entire family without remorse. So too was the image of raw fury that most people associated with Sasuke. Replaced by two loving and bickering brothers.

Brothers who were acting in such a way, that it reminded Hinata of her own relationship with Hanabi. "Well either way, the two you really should be resting." She smiles at them.

"Yes, you're right." Sasuke nods, shocking her.

Well Sasuke was being unexpectedly cooperative. Maybe, he was just in that much pain. From what little she knew of Sasuke, he was normally a much more difficult patient.

Not that she held that against him. Most people didn't like hospitals and ninjas were notoriously difficult patients. Still, she decides to take this as a good sign.

Itachi looks over at her. "Perhaps, you should fluff his pillows again." He nods sagely as if this was as very important matter. "His shoulder still pains him greatly where they connected his new arm. Soft pillows might be prudent in this situation."

"Oh right." Was it Hinata's imagination or was Itachi trying to hide a smirk? "Sure." The bluenette smiles and decides she had to be imagining things as she fluffs Sasuke's pillows again. "Is that better?" Why would Itachi Uchiha be smirking about pillows?

Sasuke just nods and stares at her a bit wide eyed. Hinata blinks at that. He looked…shocked. Really, shocked.

"Good." Maybe, he was just surprised that someone would dare to "invade his personal space" in such a fashion. Most people would be far too scared of the man to do so.

Sasuke had taken on an almost mythical reputation. Some people feared he would become the next Madara or likened him to a God of Destruction. And well, Itachi…if anything his reputation was worse.

Most people didn't know the truth yet. "That's much better." Sasuke smiles at her as Hinata ponders that matter.

Once they knew the truth, people's opinions of Itachi were going to shift dramatic. He had sacrificed almost all of his family to save the Leaf Village and potentially to prevent another Great Ninja War. That was noble, but it was also difficult to overlook the fact that the man had killed hundreds of his own kin.

Of course, most people hadn't seen Itachi interact with Sasuke though. It was nothing short of adorable really. In time, she was sure people's opinions would change. At least somewhat.

"Good." She smiles at them. "Did either of you need anything?" Hinata had other patients she had to check on and they both seemed to be doing so well.

Sasuke shakes his head. "No, I'm fine." Though he pauses and seems to add as an afterthought. "You're a very good medic."

Hinata smiles at that. She was a little stunned that Sasuke wanted to compliment her (or anyone) about well anything. Still, it did make her really happy.

"Yes, he's right." And apparently, Itachi wanted to weigh in on the matter. "You do have _such_ a soothing touch." For some reason, Hinata feels herself shivering at his words.

Well not the words. Not exactly, anyway. It was more like the tone, she supposed. There was something erotic about it. Almost _predatory_.

"T-Thank you." Right. She was imagining things! "Well I'll see the two of you later! Remember to press the buttons, if you need anything." Hinata had to be.

"You're welcome." Itachi smiles at her charmingly. "It's a very useful skill, you know?" Was Itachi flirting with her? "Being able to comfort someone and soothe away their pain with just a touch of your hand. People underestimate it." He couldn't be. "It's perhaps the most useful skill that one can ever master."

She had to be misinterpreting this. Itachi was just trying to be nice. Right? Why would he be flirting with her of all people?!

"I g-guess that's true." Still, she feels her cheeks burn slightly. "I'll see the two of you later." And with that, Hinata darts off. Back to Tsunade's Office.

* * *

A few minutes later, her heart was pounding as the head medic opens the door. Hinata knew that she was back too early. The former Hokage looks at her with concern.

It was likely that Tsunade had assumed the worst. Still, the Hyuga Heiress couldn't bring herself not to talk someone about what had happened and Tsunade as a professional. What she didn't expect was for Sakrua to still be in Tsunade's Office.

"Hinata, are you alright?" The busty blonde looks her over from head to toe, probably scanning her for any injuries.

Sakura tilts her head to the side, equally anxious. "Yeah. Are you okay?" Staring at her face far too long for Hinata to feel entirely comfortable with. "Your face is kinda red."

How could she possibly explain this? They'd likely think that she had imagined it or worse had lost her mind. There was no possible way that Itachi Uchiha could have been flirting with her! She must have imagined that seductive purr!

"Yes, I think so." She really hoped that she wasn't still blushing. "Sasuke and Itachi are both still awake and rather active."

That was putting it mildly. Between the pillow fights and Itachi's potential flirting, active seemed like an understatement. Still, maybe she should talk to Sakura alone about this.

Hinata wasn't really sure what Tsunade would say. Sakura was a peer and she had been Sasuke's teammate. Which meant she probably knew more about Itachi than most people.

Tsunade raises an eyebrow. "Rather active in what way?" The busty blonde suddenly seemed rather wary to put it mildly.

She was definitely blushing now. "Well active enough to hold conversations and for Sasuke to throw a pillow at Itachi." Maybe, a more mild version of what happened, would be safe to tell her. "And they both complimented my skills as a medic." Itachi especially, but Hinata was going to leave that part out.

For now, that was probably the wisest thing to do. Hinata didn't want to "tell on him," for something he might not have even done. That and Itachi had just gotten out of a major operation. He might be a bit disoriented from that and that could explain his unusual behavior!

Tsunade frowns as she considers that. "Well, I suppose that the _pillow incident_ is normal behavior for brothers." Though the former Hokage sounds far less than convinced about the second part. "And while you are an excellent medic, that does surprise me. Sasuke isn't exactly known to lavish others with praise and well, I'm stunned that Itachi is coherent at this point."

Hinata wasn't. Itachi was apparently Itachi. She wasn't sure what if there was something in the Uchiha District's water or what, but it seemed to take A LOT to actually knock an Uchiha out. And when something or someone did manage to do it, they had a habit of getting back up rather quickly.

"Well Sasuke does seem like he wants to turn over a new leaf." Sakura pauses. "Maybe, he figures being nicer is a start?"

Maybe. That could explain Sasuke's compliment. Itachi though, well that was a harder sell.

Tsunade shakes her head. "Well whatever the reason, it seems they've both taken a liking to you, Hinata." Maybe. "So I want you in charge of their recovery. When possible, I want you to monitor their physical _and_ emotional recovery." Wait. What?!

She blinks. Lady Tsunade didn't actually mean that, did she? The woman wanted to put Hinata in charge of Sasuke's and Itachi's recoveries? She was barely trained!

"Lady T-Tsunade, are you sure that's a good idea?" The bluenette barely manages not to squeak.

The busty blonde nods. "I'm quite sure. Sakura, why don't you go and get Hinata some charts and explain what we're looking for?" Uh oh. Hinata wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

If the Uchiha Brothers found out she was supposed to monitor their emotional recovery, it really would turn into a Lions' Den. She doubted either of them would consent to being monitored in such a way.

"Sure, Lady Tsunade." Sakura smiles and gestures for Hinata to follow her.

* * *

The bluenette does so warily. She knew what was going to happen. A barrage of questions. Questions that she wasn't entirely sure that Hinata wasn't sure that she'd be able to answer, even if she wanted to.

"So what's going on?" Sakura quickly grabs some papers out of a shelf as they head towards the cafeteria.

Damn. She really didn't know how to answer that question. What was going on?

Hinata sighs as she sits down with Sakura. "I'm not sure really." Thankfully, it wasn't meal time, so they had the cafeteria largely to themselves. The cafeteria workers were too busy preparing lunch to pay them much mind. "They've been really nice to me?"

Too nice actually. From what little she knew of Sasuke, he was at best an aloof patient. And well, given everything that Itachi had been through it was amazing that he was awake at all. Let alone feeling so _social_.

"Yeah." Sakura nods encouragingly. "You said that they complimented you, but that can't be it." It wasn't.

Well at least Hinata didn't think that it was. She was being ridiculous. That had to be it.

Hinata pauses, reaching for something that she could tell her friend that didn't seem insane. "Itachi mentioned that it was unusual to see a Hyuga caring for Uchihas." Another pause. "And Sasuke said that he wanted to ensure the Uchihas weren't so isolated this time around, that he wanted a better relationship with the other Clans."

Sakura blinks and stares at Hinata as if she had grown a second head. What? What had she said that was so shocking?

Hinata sighs as she looks around the cafeteria. It was nothing unusual. White walls, lots of tables filled with food or drinks one could grab, the occasional hospital worker, and places to sit. Though the round clock in the corner caught her attention.

Every tick reminded her that eventually, she was going to have to go check on them again. Hinata had said that she would and now, Tsunade had actually put her in charge of their care. That meant she **had** to!

"Sasuke said that?" Sakura blinks. "Are we both talking about the same Sasuke?"

It was pristine and white. The black numbers stood in such a stark contrast to the whiteness that surrounded them. It reminded her of Sasuke's ivory white skin and his obsidian black eyes.

Hinata nods, once her friend's words register. "He did say that." And he had seemed so _sincere_ about it.

Though the color changed almost as often as the clock chimed. Obsidian black, ruby red, and ethereal lavender. Now, that she thought about it…Sasuke was getting dangerously close to having rainbow eyes. The thought made her giggle.

"Hinata?" Sakura looks at her in concern. "Why are you laughing?" Uh oh. She had actually giggled.

"It's nothing important." Sakura would probably think Hinata was insane, if she told her the truth. "But yes, Sasuke said that." He really did.

The hands on the clock reminded her of Itachi though. Proud, strong, and always changing. Changing, yet staying the same.

The Hyuga Heiress couldn't imagine what it must have been like to choose between your village and your family. To cast yourself as the villain. To make yourself reviled and hated by the person you were trying to protect the most.

Those hadn't been the only challenges he faced though. "Right. What else happened?" He'd also been a spy on the Akatsuki and battled an illness that should have killed him years ago.

"This is going to sound crazy." Sakura wasn't going to let the issue drop, it seemed. "I'm not sure if I just imagined it or not, but I think Itachi might have been flirting with me." Which might be just as well. Hinata had to tell someone.

Sakura almost falls out of her chair in shock. "What makes you think THAT?!" Not that Hinata could blame the other woman.

Hinata blushes as she repeats exactly what Itachi had told her earlier. "It was also more the way he said it than what he said." She doubted that she could have mimicked that seductive purr, even if she tried.

Sakura blinks three times in rapid succession. "Well, I guess it's possible." She tilts her head to the side as if considering it. "I mean none of us really know that much about Itachi. You would think the guy would be in too much pain to worry about finding a lover, but he's always been something of an enigma." Well that was certainly true.

Hinata sighs as she glances at the papers. "Yeah" Papers that were supposed to help guide her in making an informal assessment about their mental state. "What should I do? It was probably nothing, but still."

Sakura smiles sneakily. "Well, I guess the best thing you can do is to find out if he was or not." Uh huh? "By using your feminine wiles on him!" What?! "If he likes you, he'll respond. If not, he probably won't notice or will be too polite to say anything."

Feminine wiles?! What feminine wiles?! Hinata didn't have any of those! If she did, she would probably already be married to Naruto!

"S-Sakura, I'm not really good at that sort of thing." Her face was likely blushing scarlet, but Hinata couldn't help it. "Especially not with a man who is five or six years my senior." And likely far more experienced than Hinata was.

Admittedly, that wasn't hard to do. Hinata had almost no practical experience to speak of when it came to romance. It was…a bit pathetic really.

Sakura waves her concerns off. "Don't worry. I'm sure we can manage." She grins. "Hmm. We'll start with something simple." The pink haired woman's mind was obviously going a mile a minute. "A new uniform."

"A new uniform?" She blinks. "What's wrong with this one?"

Her friend shakes her head. "Nothing, but it doesn't exactly scream seduction." She drags her friend off. "Don't worry. I've got just the thing. This is going to be fun."

* * *

About an hour later, Hinata tries her best not to blush as she goes back into the Lion's Den with Sakura at her side. If Itachi acted strangely, the other woman would notice it. This way Hinata would have a witness of sorts!

Well maybe, witness was a stretch. It wasn't as though flirting was a crime, but still. Hinata wanted to know that she wasn't losing her mind.

"We're back." Hinata smiles at them.

Sakura had gotten her another medic uniform. This one had shorter sleeves and shorts instead of pants. The white material also clung to her skin in a more form fitting manner.

Hinata could only pray that she wasn't blushing. While nothing particularly outrageous was actually being shown, the way the material was clinging to her was far more suggestive than she was used to. She really missed her jacket right about now!

Sasuke blinks and so does Itachi. "Wonderful. We were waiting for our favorite medics to return." They had definitely noticed.

Wait. Favorite medics? Did Sasuke have feelings for Sakura after all? Was that why he was being such a good patient? Hmm.

"And now we have." Sakura smiles at Sasuke. "I want you to try to flex. Slowly."

Sasuke gives the pink haired woman a look that had Hinata struggling not to laugh. "You're joking." It was just so annoyed and incredulous.

Alright then. Sasuke probably didn't like Sakura. One didn't look at their beloved in such a way. That or at least it struck Hinata as being rather unlikely to say the least.

"Sasuke, I'm not joking." Sakura shakes her head. "We need to start your physical therapy and if you're feeling well enough to throw pillows at Itachi, you're well enough to start your therapy."

Sasuke looked like a cornered puppy. It was frankly adorable. He was sulking as if he was a child that got caught with his hands on in the cookie jar.

Wait. She probably shouldn't refer to the younger Uchiha Brother as adorable. It might be true, but Hinata doubted that Sasuke would appreciate that label being applied to him.

He rolls his eyes and tries to flex. "F-Fine!" His teeth were gritted and Hinata winces as she watches him.

It was clearly painful, but he was too proud to say it. This was going to be a long hard road towards recovery. Though she turns her attention to Itachi. Sakura could handle basic exercises like that.

"You decided to change your uniform because of the weather?" He smiles serenely at her.

Hinata wasn't really sure, how Itachi could smile like that. Despite everything he'd been through, he was still fully capable of looking like he was the happiest man in the world. It was incredible, really.

She nods shyly. "Yes, because of the weather." Hinata felt so embarrassed, but she had to know one way or another.

"That was a wise decision." He nods his head approvingly. "Your _comfort_ should be of course, your chief concern in everything." Was he flirting now?! "After all, one can hardly take care of their patients properly, if they are uncomfortable."

Maybe not. Itachi was just making conversation it seemed. Though Hinata felt someone glaring a hole in her back.

She blinks and turns around to see what was going on. Sasuke was glaring at her. No wait. Not at her. He was glaring at Itachi, but why?

"Um yes, that's true." She smiles a bit nervously.

Sasuke had forgiven his Itachi for everything and earlier, they had been acting as normal brothers. Now, Sasuke looked like he wanted to Chidori Itachi! It didn't make any sense!

Unless, Sasuke thought that Itachi was flirting with her. Why would that upset him though? Maybe, he was worried that it was too soon. Perhaps, he was worried that his older brother might be pushing himself too hard?

Itachi smiles at her encouragingly. "There's no need to be so nervous around us." There was apparently, every need! "Sasuke and I don't bite." He smiles knowingly. "Unless of course, that's something you desire?"

Hinata and Sakura almost fall over in shock and Sasuke's glare turns positively murderous. "W-What?!" The bluenette was glad Sakura was here or else, she would have wondered if she had imagined that! Itachi couldn't have possibly said something that outrageous. Could he?!

"Relax." Itachi continues smiling as if there was nothing to be concerned about. "I was merely joking." He nods at them reassuringly. "I do apologize if my joke was in poor taste. It has been awhile since I've had the privilege of indulging in civilized conversations."

Oh. Right. Itachi had spent most of his time with the Akatsuki. God only knows, what they said behind closed doors. Hinata didn't think that she wanted to know. In that case, a dirty joke was likely tame compared to some of the things that Itachi could have said.

"It's alright." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Sasuke, how are your exercises coming along?"

Sasuke's attention flickers back to her. "I'm highly frustrated at the moment, but I'm sure that I can manage." Apparently, he had decided that he had met his glaring quota for the day.

Though Hinata's mind was on holiday. Thanks to Itachi's possible flirting, some rather inappropriate thoughts were now filling her heads. Thoughts about a _frustrated_ Sasuke and Itachi.

She wanted to smack herself. What was wrong with her?! She was in love with Naruto, even if he didn't return her love and they were her patients! It was wrong to have such thoughts about them, even if they were only fleeting!

"You'll get there." She nods at him reassuringly.

What on Earth was wrong with her? She was turning into some kind of deviant! Though perhaps in some strange way, Hinata should have seen this coming. She had after all, stepped into the lions' den.

It didn't matter though. Soon enough the Uchiha Brothers would be fully recovered and whether or not Itachi was actually flirting with her would be irrelevant. Hinata Hyuga was not vain enough to believe that she was the type of woman who could tame an Uchiha.

"Just a little more." Sakura nods at Sasuke.

Had she been less lost in her thoughts, Hinata might have noticed that both brothers were admiring the sight of her new medic uniform. The way that their eyes were looking her over from head to toe and the fact that three Sharingans and one Rinnegan were now both watching her with interest.

If she had been aware of that, she probably would have run. Hinata probably would have requested that someone else take charge of their recover. She didn't though and thus, the Hyuga Heiress had no idea what she had just gotten herself into by wearing that uniform.

Hinata smiles and nods. "Well that's three flexes. We probably shouldn't push it much further." Sasuke shoots her a grateful look upon hearing that. "Come on, Sakura." Hinata quickly takes Itachi's vitals. "We should probably get going. They need us to help with the hospital's inventory."

That was true of course, but it was mostly an excuse to get out of there. She had so much that she wanted, no needed to talk to Sakura about. "Alright!" Sakura smiles at the brothers. "See you guys later!" And fortunately, her friend seemed more than willing to go along with her flimsy excuse.

With that in mind, the two of them bound off. "Sakura, do you think that I'm crazy or is Itachi Uchiha really flirting with me?" She dares herself to ask, once they were out of earshot.

"I think…he's probably flirting with you." Sakura frowns as she mulls over that question. "But Phrase Two will tell us for sure, if he is or not."

Wait. "What's Phase Two?" Hinata looks at her friend warily.

Sakura smiles cheerfully. "Oh don't worry." Hinata didn't like that look! "You'll see!" And she definitely didn't like her friend's far too cheerful tone.

She suddenly had a very bad feeling about all of this! For some reason, Hinata suspected that Sakura had things far more outrageous in mind than just a modified medic uniform. And that thought made her very, very nervous!


	4. Chapter 4

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. It will be shown from a mix of perspectives. Oh and do feel free to weigh in how long you want the Hospital Arc to be. Eventually, they're going to get out of the hospital. I'm just now sure of how soon yet. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 4

"Foolish little brother." Itachi shakes his head. "Why are you glaring at me?" He couldn't be seriously.

 _Why was he glaring at him?_ Because his brother was obviously trying to seduce the woman he loved right in front of him! That's why!

Sasuke feels himself twitch. "You might as well have asked Hinata to help you with restoring our Clan." Bastard! "

To the younger Uchiha's annoyance, Itachi didn't look the least bit contrite about his actions. If anything, his elder brother looked amused. Smug even. Itachi Uchiha looked like a Ninja Cat who had just found a stash of catnip!

"Sasuke, I know that I told you flowers were Genin Level, but Clan Restoration is definitely Kage Level." Itachi chuckles as he leans over and pokes Sasuke's forehead **again**! "It's a bit early for that. One has to take their times with these sorts of things, especially when dealing with such a modest woman."

Hmpf! Sasuke about two seconds from Chidoring the smug bastard! "You said that you were going to teach me how to seduce her!" Not this! "Not that you were going to give me a visual demonstration!" He was seething and he knew it, but Sasuke didn't care.

Itachi sighs heavily and Sasuke watches him carefully. Sighing could be very good or very bad. With Itachi, it was difficult to tell.

"Sasuke, I am not trying to steal your Byakugan Princess from you." Itachi shakes his head and to his credit manages to look at least a little guilty. "I'm merely showing you how to woe her."

Maybe, he had overreacted. Itachi didn't do anything halfway. From being a caring brother, to training, to fighting, and everything else. Why would seduction be any different?

He glances at his brother warily. "Alright. I just didn't like it and Hinata definitely noticed something was going on." Hinata might be shy, but she wasn't Naruto.

The woman that he loved wasn't oblivious and Itachi had been laying it on _thick_. Hopefully, she would just pawn it off to the fact that the Uchiha had just gotten out of surgery. Competing with her childhood love of Naruto was bad enough! Sasuke did not want to compete against Itachi!

"Of course, she noticed." Itachi smiles in such a serene way that Sasuke was tempted to hit him with a fireball. "That's the entire point." Of course, the other hospital patient would dodge. "It wouldn't be a very good seduction, if the woman didn't notice your efforts." Still, it was the damn principle of the thing!

He sighs and looks out the window. It was a beautiful, hot July day. No wonder, Hinata had changed into that delightfully revealing medic uniform. The skies were a vibrant, deep shade of blue, but the Sun's wrath was absolutely fearsome today.

It would be a good day for a swim. Hinata liked swimming. If he hadn't just gotten an arm transplant and he wasn't well him, maybe…Sasuke could have asked her to go swimming with him.

"I guess that's a good point." Sasuke didn't like it, but Itachi was right.

She'd probably wear a one piece suit. Like Itachi said, Hinata was a modest woman. That wouldn't bother Sasuke though. He had already seen enough of her feminine curves in that uniform to know that a simple swimsuit would display more than enough for imagination to fill in any gaps.

Itachi shakes his head. "And really, you should be more grateful." Grateful?! "I had her fluff your pillows again."

"You did that on purpose?" Was his brother really enough of a lecher that had intentionally given Sasuke another glimpse of Hinata's cleavage. "I can't believe you!"

Sasuke was really torn between being morbidly curious about this new side of his brother and appalled. Of course, they had never spoken about women before today. So it was only natural that the younger Uchiha hadn't been familiar with Itachi's views on the subject.

That didn't make it any easier to wrap his head around the fact that this deviant was his beloved older brother?! The man who had given him piggyback rides?! Unbelievable. Their mother would have washed Itachi's mouth out with soap!

Itachi rolls his eyes. "Your feigned outrage is duly noted." Feigned?! "Don't pretend that you didn't enjoy it." Well that was besides the point!

Sasuke looks out the window again as he tries to collect his thoughts. Only to be tormented by images of the villagers walking about and going about their daily business. Some were with their families. Some with their sweethearts and some were with both.

It was difficult to see last group of people. Though at least he had Itachi back in his life now, even if Sasuke was tempted to strangle the pervert! Obviously, his brother had spent too much time with Jiraiya. He felt less alone now, but that didn't stop him from envying those families.

"Whatever, Itachi." Sasuke turns his attention back to his brother. "So how did you do that thing with your voice earlier?"

Itachi smirks and Sasuke gulps. "I'm so happy you asked that, my foolish little brother." Maybe, he shouldn't asked. "Because that is a very useful tool in the Art of Seduction that is essential for you to master, if you want to turn your Byakugan Princess into your Uchiha Queen." On second thought, he definitely shouldn't have asked.

* * *

Meanwhile Hinata knew that she was probably gaping like a fish, but she couldn't help it. There was no way that Sakura could actually be serious about this! She wanted Hinata to what?!

"I don't think that's a good idea." Hinata shakes her head.

She'd make a complete fool of herself. Hinata couldn't possibly walk like that in front of Itachi. Sakura had lost her mind!

Sakura pats her on the shoulder encouragingly. "Lady Tsunade showed me this awhile ago." Right. "She says it always works."

Well Lady Tsunade was Lady Tsunade. That woman certainly didn't lack for confidence. Hinata would probably trip all over herself or blush furiously while she did that!

"And she says it also helps if you drop something in front of the man you're interested in." The pink haired woman nods sagely.

Hinata raises an eyebrow. "Why does that help? Obviously, she was missing something.

Sakura actually laughs and shakes her head. What?! What was she missing?! Why was Sakura laughing at her?!

"Well if you drop it right in front of them and you bend down to pick it up and they look, it means they like you." Oh. That seemed…a bit obscene.

Her father would likely be aghast, if he heard that Hinata was considering such a thing. Unfortunately, the bluenette was afraid that the Hokage might have a point in this matter. Lady Tsunade certainly didn't seem like the type of woman who lacked for offers when it came to _companionship_ and her father had always said that one could learn a lot from their elders.

Hinata blushes furiously and nods in understanding. "Well I guess that makes sense." It couldn't hurt to try. "So that's Phrase Two then? Bend and Sway?"

"Yup!" She grins. "Bend and sway." The other medic sighs and shakes her head. "Maybe, you'll have better luck with Itachi than I did with Sasuke."

The bluenette gives her friend a sympathetic look upon hearing that. She knew what it was like. To have feelings for someone who didn't return them.

Though Hinata supposed that she was luckier than Sakura in a way. Naruto had never left the Leaf and had never fought her. The same couldn't be said for the younger Uchiha Brother and Sakura.

"I'm sorry about that." Hinata sighs and shakes her head, trying not to think of her own polite rejection. "Do you still have feelings for him?" If she did, working as one of Sasuke's medics had to be especially painful.

Sakura shakes her head. "Well yes and no." The pink haired woman seemed to be debating her answer. "You never forget your first love, but you can't force someone to love you."

That was true. Sadly, it was a lesson that Hinata had learned the hard way. You couldn't force someone to love you.

"You're right." Hinata smiles at Sakura. "Thanks for all your help." She didn't know what she would have done without the other medic.

"No problem." Sakura pauses and walks over to Hinata. "So what are you going to do?" She was only inches away from the other woman. "If Itachi Uchiha actually likes you?"

Hinata suddenly felt her face burn crimson red. It was a good thing that she and Sakura were in a Medical Supplies Room because if anyone else had seen her, they would have noticed. She was probably blushing worse than one of Sasuke's beloved tomatoes.

The very thought was almost unfathomable. "I'm not sure." What **would** she do? "I mean, I've never thought about him that way before." Probably because until very recently she had thought Itachi was a cold-blooded killer.

"You might want to start thinking about it then." Sakura nods encouragingly. "Because it seems like it's a very real possibility."

* * *

Back with the Uchiha Brothers, Itachi was proud of his foolish little brother's progress. Luckily, it seemed that at least when it came to using his voice seductively, the other Uchiha was a natural.

This was good for two reasons. The first being that it boded well for Clan Restoration. The second being, that it was not easy to teach someone how to use _The Voice._

"Yes, that's much better." Itachi nods his head approvingly.

Sasuke looks a little less certain. "You really think that would work?" Itachi didn't think that this would work, he knew that it would.

Very few women could resist _The Voice_. It was an essential part of any seduction in his mind. Though the fact that Sasuke was so easily flustered about this sort of thing was a bit unsettling.

"Now, we need to work on topics of conversation!" They'd deal with that later.

Sasuke was still a Genin and Hinata was essentially an Academy Student. Using _The Voice_ and developing a friendship of sorts was all that was necessary at this point. The rest would come in due time.

His little brother watches him anxiously. "Alright. Well we haven't talked much before." Whether he was nervous about impressing his little princess or he was nervous about his lessons, well that was hard to say. "So I don't think that it's a good idea to discuss anything personal."

Itachi shakes his head. "Reluctantly, I concede that you may have a point." Still, there had to be something they could discuss. "You said that you spoke to her once before. Was that previous conversation about anything significant?"

Perhaps, they could simply build off whatever foundation Sasuke had established with the Hyuga woman years ago. No matter how slight it might be, anything was better than nothing.

"It was about something significant." Sasuke sighs and Itachi almost regretted asking. "And it's possible that she might remember the conversation, but it wasn't a particularly happy one." It had been about the Massacre.

Itachi was sure of it. Well he was torn on that one. It was not exactly the happiest topic, but if Sasuke could force himself to be vulnerable around the other ninja…that might help. If he could open up, Hinata might feel closer to him.

"Very well." The elder Uchiha Brother sighs. "You may reference the conversation." This was going to be rather uncomfortable to say the least. "I shall simply pretend to be asleep."

Sasuke looks at him apologetically. "I can talk about something else." Ah, his foolish little brother. "There's no need to bring up painful memories." Most people were no longer aware of this, but Sasuke was indeed capable of great kindness.

Of course, Itachi wasn't going to indulge it in it. Not now. If this is what would help his foolish little brother win Hinata's heart, he'd just have to endure it.

"It's fine, Sasuke." It wasn't really. "That's all in the past now and you've forgiven me." He'd always do guilty, even if Itachi knew that he had done the right thing. "Besides, it's healthy to talk about such things and hearing someone speak about it, isn't nearly as difficult as living through it."

* * *

A short while later, Sasuke could swear that his heart was about to burst out of his chest when he hears some now very familiar footsteps coming their way. Luckily, Itachi was already feigning sleep.

Itachi was such a good actor. It was disturbing really. How he could so easily play the part of the betrayer and look like he was fast asleep. If Sasuke didn't know any better, he would have honestly believed that his brother was dreaming.

"Oh." Hinata blinks as she walks inside. "I guess he finally fell asleep." The medic smiles sweetly.

Sasuke nods. There was no reason to correct Hinata. Itachi was right. He did need to make some kind of effort to have an actual conversation with her about something more meaningful than pillows fights.

Itachi pretending to be asleep, well that was a good way to start. "I think the surgery tired him out more than he thought." Sasuke smiles at her. "He'll likely be asleep for awhile." The action felt foreign on his lips now.

Though he knew that it was far easier to smile for Hinata than it would have been for anyone else. Well save for Itachi and Naruto. He loved them both, just in a very different way than he loved Hinata. Love made smiling easier.

"I would imagine so." Hinata shakes her head as she bends leans ove rthe bed and quickly takes Itachi's vitals. "It's amazing." She glances back at Sasuke. "How quickly the two of you woke up and were capable of full conversations. Most people wouldn't have woken up yet at all."

It was a rather impressive feat from a medical perspective, Sasuke knew. Still, this was Itachi. The younger Uchiha had grown used to his brother beating the odds.

Sasuke nods in understanding though. "Yeah. Itachi is a survivor." That much was obvious.

He had survived everything. The pressure that being the Clan's Prodigy had undoubtedly put on him. The choice between his family and the village. His illness. Sasuke's hatred. Everything.

"That's true." Hinata smiles at him. "So are you though." And that smile made Sasuke feel something that he couldn't quite articulate.

Better in a way, he supposed. He couldn't be that far gone, if someone like Hinata would smile at him in such a way. Hopeful might have been a better way to describe it. Hopeful, that redemption was actually possible and maybe, more.

"Thank you." This time the smile on his face felt less awkward. "I never properly thanked you for that day."

Hinata tilts her head in confusion. "Thanked me for what?" Right. Of course. "What day?" He'd have to get more specific.

Sasuke wanted to reach out to her, but he knew that would be a bad idea. "The day I returned to the Academy." It'd only result in agony for him. "You approached me and offered your condolences for what had happened." He pauses. "You were the only one who didn't look at me with pity. I don't think that you'll ever understand how much that meant to me."

Hinata blinks. Whatever she had been expecting, that hadn't been it. "Sasuke, I'm glad that you feel that way, but you don't have to thank me for that." For just a moment, it wasn't a grown man laying on that bed, it was a lonely little boy who had just had his entire world shattered right in front of him.

Her heart suddenly ached for him. It was something of a miracle that Sasuke hadn't deserted the Leaf before he did. As far as she could tell, he had been in the hospital for a couple weeks to treat his shock and after that, the seven year old had largely been left to his own devices until he defected.

"I do because it meant a lot to me." He shakes his head. "Other than losing everyone, it was the looks that bothered me most. The pity." Sasuke looks up at her. "I'm sorry that I ignored you after that. It was just…I got so caught up in my desire for revenge, it consumed me."

She wanted to hug him, but Hinata wasn't entirely sure how he'd react to that. "It's alright." Either way though, this was a major step for Sasuke. "You're not like that anymore and that's what matters most." To share his feelings so openly.

Sasuke smiles at her again. "I'm trying not to be." He pauses for a moment and adds almost as an afterthought. "It's easier when you're here." Did he just purr?

Hinata shakes her head. She was definitely imagining that. When did she become so vain? It was difficult enough to imagine Itachi would have feelings for her, but Sasuke? That was almost impossible.

"Well you're doing a very good job." Hinata nods at him encouragingly.

* * *

An hour swiftly passes by. Before Hinata knew it, she hears the clock chime and Itachi groan quietly in pain. One minute she had been talking about of all things, gardening with Sasuke and the next she was swiftly checking on Itachi.

"Itachi, are you alright?" Sasuke looks at his brother in concern.

That surprised Hinata. Apparently, the youngest Uchiha was rather adamant about reviving his mother's garden. Perhaps not surprisingly though, it was the tomatoes that caught his interest most. Though he seemed to know far more about medicinal plants than she would have expected.

He nods and winces. "I could use some more morphine, but other than that I'm fine." Fine by Uchiha Standards meant something else for most people, Hinata observes.

When an Uchiha said they were fine, what they really meant was that they were in agony. Agony, but they were too proud to admit it. Hinata makes a mental note of this and runs the morphine drip.

"Is that better?" She looks at him in concern.

Itachi nods and rolls over to face her. "Much better." He smiles. "Thank you."

Well Hinata supposed that it was now or never. If Sakura was right, Itachi was going to look. Thank goodness for the Byakugan.

"Damn it!" She "accidentally drops her clipboard in front of Itachi's bed and leans down to get it.

"One has to watch those clipboards." Itachi chuckles. "They do tend to fall out of one's hands easily."

She had discretely activated and Hinata tries not to blush at the realization that Itachi was very much looking. Sakura had been right. The Hyuga Heiress needed to find out what she was going to do and fast.

 _Well his foolish little brother certainly did have exceptional taste,_ Itachi muses to himself. Not for the first time though, but it was the first time his thoughts had truly strayed to inappropriate places.

"Sasuke nods. "That's true." Places that it had no business going to.

Though who could really blame him? The one had just unintentionally given him quite the show when she bent over to pick up that clipboard. Now, that was a fine-figured woman.

"Well I'll see you later." She smiles at them. "Itachi, you should try to go back to sleep and Sasuke you really should try to get some."

The suggestion almost made him laugh. His foolish little brother was indeed _"trying to get some_." Just not in the way Hinata was thinking.

Some of her attention. Some of her love. Physical companionship. Probably some children as well. That's what Sasuke was interested in. Sleep was probably couldn't be further from his foolish little brother's mind!

"Alright." Sasuke nods and Itachi mutters something similar.

That's when Hinata walks off. Well more specifically the woman saunters off. The sway of her hips was even more seductive than usual. As he was saying, Sasuke _really_ did have exceptional taste!

* * *

"You did well." Itachi manages to tear his gaze away from Hinata's charming posterior. "I must admit that gardening wasn't a topic of conversation that I had expected to capture your attention so much." He needed to focus on something other than Hinata's saunter. Gardening would have to do.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at Itachi. "Well I had to think of something safe to talk about." Ah. His foolish little brother was being defense. How cute. "It seemed like a safe topic and I do have every intention of reviving mother's garden."

Itachi nods. Well it wasn't a bad choice. It was a good one really. It would help Hinata think of him in a less destructive light. That and what better hobby for an adorable wallflower than gardening?

"It was a good choice." He concedes.

The other Uchiha nods smugly. "That's right." He gives Itachi a dirty look. "Though if you would stop checking out my future **wife's** backside, that would be appreciated."

My, My, Sasuke was getting rather _possessive_. Well that was a good sign. It showed that his brother wasn't feeling nearly as hopeless about the entire affair as he had been previously.

"Your future wife?" He raises an eyebrow. "One conversation about flowers and tomatoes, changed every thing…did it?" Itachi knew that it was childish, but he couldn't help it.

Sasuke was just so delightfully easy to tease. It was one of his guilty pleasures, he supposed. Though in all honesty, Itachi was relieved that his brother could actually love a woman in such a way. He had been worried that he might have damaged Sasuke too much for that to be a possibility.

Sasuke hurls another pillow at him. "She smiled at me." Right. Naturally, that meant their marriage was imminent, Itachi thinks to himself as he dodges the pillow.

"Well yes, that's progress." Itachi shakes his head. "Still you have a long way to go from a smile to walking down the aisle."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "Did you just rhyme on purpose?" He looks at him incredulously.

Itachi smirks. There was something to be said for adding a bit of elegance to your speech. Mostly, because it was quite good at annoying foolish little brothers.

"Yes, I did." He nods sagely. "Women do tend to like it when you speak to them with a certain amount of poise." Though he probably should clarify. "Naturally, at some point, she'll probably like it when you speak to her in a less refined manner as well. Particularly in the heat of passion."

Sasuke twitches. "You are such a pervert!" Why did Sasuke keep saying that like it was a _bad_ thing?

"I'll freely admit to enjoying the more sensual side of life." Itachi chuckles. "As one day, I hope you will be able to. After all, I would like some nieces and nephews."

"You're unbelievable!" Sasuke flails. "You just did the rhyming thing again!" That's right. He did and it was still quite amusing. "Pervert!" And thus, Itachi did the only thing he could do in a situation like this, he pokes Sasuke's forehead and decides to get some sleep.

After all, it was going to take a lot of work to transform his easily flustered Genin of a brother into a master of seduction. Still, Itachi was confident he could manage it. If nothing else, Sasuke still had his good looks and he could purr now. That was a very promising start!


	5. Chapter 5

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. If you have an idea for something you would like to see in this story, please feel free to let me know. I do my best to incorporate requests and suggestions when I can. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Viewers' Choice:** There are a lot of directions this story could go. The most obvious being one of the following.

A) Itachi suggests to Sasuke that they could both be with Hinata with only mild to moderate angst. Lemonade served earlier on than in option B.

B) Hinata thinks Itachi likes her and acts on it, only to realize Sasuke was in love with her. Moderate to high angst. Eventually, Itachi solves the love triangle problem. More fantasies before lemonade.

Chapter 5

Two weeks later and Hinata felt enormously uncomfortable under Tsunade's watchful gaze. The busty medic was currently reading her report and well, understandably the older woman was shocked. Anyone would be!

"I want to go over this with you in detail." Tsunade blinks as she looks at the report. "There are a few things that immediately caught my eye that I believe we can't overlook." Uh oh.

Hinata could only nod in agreement though. "Of course, Lady Tsunade." What else could she say? One didn't say no to a former Hokage!

That two files were going to get her into so much trouble. Hinata just knew it! She wasn't sure how exactly, but the Hyuga Heiress couldn't deny that looking at those files made her very anxious. (Which was odd considering they were largely good news)!

 **Itachi Uchiha.**

 **Physical Progress: Patient suffered from a life-threatening illness for years. The only treatment he sought out was medication. Patient underwent a major surgery two weeks ago to save his life.**

 **Itachi's physical health is improving by leaps and bounds. He is now able to walk short distances on his own and his vision appears to have been completely restored. His appetite is slowly improving, though he is still about five pounds underweight.**

 **The biggest causes for concern are his fatigue and coughing fits. Occasionally, he will cough up blood and suffer from bouts of vomiting. It is believed with further treatments, these issues will eventually go away.**

"Yes, that's what I've noticed from observing him." Hinata nods.

Tsunade looks at her pointedly. "That's quite the remarkable recovery. Do you believe there is a chance that he might be hiding some of his pain from you?" That was a good point.

Would Hinata really know? It was possible, but Itachi seemed in such good spirits. Bright enough spirits that on more than one occasion, Hinata was almost certain that the elder Uchiha Brother was indeed admiring her backside!

"It's possible, but I don't think so." She sighs as Tsunade continues reading Itachi's file.

 **Emotional Progress: Itachi Uchiha appears to be in bright spirits, especially considering the enormous emotional tragedies that he has experienced. In particular, he seems to have reestablished his brotherly bond with Sasuke and adores teasing him.**

 **He appears quite content most of the time despite his pain and appears to have a strong desire for all manner of attachments. Be they emotional or physical.**

"Would you care to elaborate on that last line?" Tsunade quirks an eyebrow.

Hinata feels her face burn scarlet red and shakes her head vigorously. "No, M-My Lady." She really didn't want to tell Tsunade about her theories.

Her theories that Itachi either had feelings for her or perhaps, he just was the type of man who admired women's backsides often. The latter struck her as an amusing though, but then again it wasn't unheard of.

Many powerful ninjas were known as deviants to varying degrees. Orochimaru was the scary kind. Jiraiya was the eccentric kind. And then there was the Kakashi kind, who well no one held it against him. He made it seem so natural.

"Hinata, we're medical professionals here." Tsunade shakes her head. "You can tell me whatever it is."

The bluenette sighs and nods. "Well Itachi appears to have a strong desire for physical bonds." How could she put this tactically? "I believe I may have seen him admire the feminine form more than once. Clan Restoration shouldn't be an issue, assuming he can find a willing partner." Hinata blushes horribly.

Tsunade laughs quietly. "Well that is…good to know, I suppose." Yeah. Good to know!

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi had just woken up. From a dream that he didn't know whether he should consider wonderful or a nightmare. Wonderful because of the content, but a nightmare because of the implications.

 **Warning Itachi's Sexy Daydream**

 _Beautiful. Everything about the moment was beautiful. From the way her long midnight blue cascaded along her alluring creamy white skin to those seductive moans of hers. He especially liked the seductive curve of her back and hips as she was bent over the hospital bed._

 _"I-ITACHI!" He liked it even more when she screamed his name. "F-Feels so good!" Singing his praises so perfectly._

 _She was such an innocent. That adorable blush that adorned her cheeks head spread all the way to her ample breasts. Breasts that he loved to caress and watch as they bounced with his every thrust._

 _Hot, tight, and wet. She fit him so perfectly. Moaned for him so sweetly. Paradise. This had to be paradise. He must have died and gone onto the afterlife somehow._

 _"It's about feel even better, My Sweet Princess." He rubbed her clit and thrusted into her spot harder and faster, while his other hand fondled that gorgeous bosom of hers._

 _He had always liked breasts, but Itachi had never held the same degree of fascination for them that some other men did. Until now. The way they bounced as he took her against the hospital bed, well it was nothing short of memorizing._

 _"Itachi! I'm going to cum!" Hinata arched against him desperately._

 _So was he! He bites down on her shoulder lightly and sucks harshly to leave a lovebite. "So am I!" Hinata had just screamed his name again and he was just about to find his release, when…_ he woke up.

 **End of Itachi's Sexy Daydream**

"You alright?" Sasuke looks at him in concern?

No! He wasn't alright! He had just had an erotic dream about the woman his brother loved. The woman he had loved since childhood. This couldn't be happening!

How was he supposed to face his brother after that? "I will be. Just…a bad dream." A wicked bad dream that he should never have again!

It wasn't as though he had actually seduced Hinata. Itachi logically knew that, but emotionally was another matter. After everything that he had taken away form Sasuke, he couldn't take away his Byakugan Princess.

Assuming Sasuke could win her heart, she would make him an excellent wife! She was exactly what his foolish little brother needed. Kind (and very easy on the eyes)!

"Yeah." Sasuke looks at him sympathetically. "I get those too sometimes." He sighs. "Less now though. It's tough to put the past behind us, but we have to try."

Itachi could only nod in agreement. He couldn't exactly tell Sasuke what he had been dreaming about. The man had glared at him just for looking at Hinata. If Sasuke knew that he had been dreaming about her, it wouldn't end well. He just had to make sure that the other man never found out!

* * *

Back with Tsunade and Hinata, the former Hokage couldn't believe this. Hinata had just told her that Itachi Uchiha may be something of a secret deviant. She would have laughed, if the poor girl hadn't been so mortified.

"Alright." She smiles at her reassuringly. "Let's have a look at Sasuke's file." And with that being said, Tsunade begins to read it out loud.

 _ **Sasuke Uchiha**_

 _ **Physical Progress: Sasuke Uchiha had one of his arms blown off during a fight with Naruto. Since then, he has received a transplant. The transplant still pains him as the nerves and chakra networks are still reforming, but he is making significant progress in his exercises.**_

Tsunade nods. That only made sense. The boy would probably be in at least moderate pain for quite sometime. Though his surgery had gone off rather well.

"Anything, that you would like to add to that, Hinata?" She smiles at the other woman.

Hinata quickly shakes her head. "Nope. That's pretty much everything." Uh huh.

The Hyuga Heiress was a horrible liar, Tsunade decides. That much was obvious. Oh well. She would find out soon enough.

 _ **Emotional Progress: Sasuke is making stunning emotional progress. It's obvious that he is frustrated by his Physical Therapy, but his relationship with Itachi has improved dramatically. They act as any other pair of loving brothers would.**_

 _ **What's most shocking is how open Sasuke has become. He regularly converses about everyday topics such as gardening and inquires about my well-being.**_

Tsunade blinks at that last part. Inquires about her well-being? Was that just Sasuke trying to prove that he was trustworthy or was he actually trying to forge some sort of friendship with the shy heiress?

"I see. Well that's all very interesting." She probably should have Itachi and Sasuke evaluated by a specialist. "Though good. I'm glad that it seems like they've both taken a liking for you."

It was probably evil, but Tsunade couldn't resist. That and Hinata was supposed to be a professional now. It wasn't anything that she wouldn't occasionally get asked to do later anyway.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Hinata smiles.

She nods. Hopefully, the poor girl wouldn't faint. "Which is why I would like you to give both of them a sponge bath. They'd probably enjoy being clean again after so long and I'm not sure either of them is up to bathing on their own yet." THUD!

Tsunade blinks and looks down at the floor. "Damn." Hinata fainted. Well in all fairness, she had seen that one coming from a mile away.

Hinata had come a long way in the past few years, but she was still Hinata. The bluenette was still deeply shy and modest. Suggesting that she give the Uchiha Brothers a sponge bath, might have been a bit much.

* * *

About an hour later, Sasuke looks up when he hears Hinata's footsteps and blinks. His Byakugan Princess as Itachi called her was bright red. That was the most extensive blush that Sasuke had ever seen in his life.

"Hinata?" He was actually starting to get more than a little concerned.

She somehow manages to blush more. "I'm okay." The youngest Uchiha didn't think that was possible, but apparently it was.

"Hinata, what is distressing you so?" Itachi looks at her.

Things were bad when even Itachi was losing his composure. What could have possibly had this effect on Hinata? She was a shy woman, but this was ridiculous!

She bites her lower lip and looks anywhere, but at them. "Well Lady Tsunade said that the two of you should bathe." Yeah. That would probably be a good idea.

Sasuke wasn't exactly sure how he was going to handle that. Using one arm, was going to be awkward. Still, he'd rather be awkward and clean than dirty and comfortable.

"Don't worry. I'll figure it out." He smiles at her reassuringly. "And Itachi is doing much better now." His brother could bathe himself and if he really couldn't, well Sasuke would just bite the bullet and help him. (AFTER Itachi had a towel wrapped around himself, of course)!

Hinata shakes her head. "No. Lady Tsunade doesn't want to risk an accident happening." Uh huh?

Itachi chuckles and glances over at Hinata, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Are you saying that she instructed you to give us sponge baths?" Upon hearing this, Hinata nods slowly and shyly and Sasuke nearly falls on his ass in shock!

He didn't know if this was some sort of gift from the Heavens or a curse thrown at him from Hell. How was he NOT going to _respond_ in a situation like that. Hinata's hands would be _all_ over him and he was going to be _naked_!

"You don't have to, Hinata." Sasuke nods. "We can manage and tell Tsunade that you did it, if it makes you feel uncomfortable."

As much as he wanted her hands all over him, Sasuke was no Jiraiya. If Hinata didn't want to do this, he'd give her the out. That and it would likely spare him a lot of humiliation.

Itachi shakes his head. "It's best not to defy the former Hokage." That was obviously his brother's way of saying he wanted Chidoried and an improvised vasectomy!

His foolish little brother looked like he wanted to find a nice hole to hide inside. Honestly, he was never going to seduce his princess at this rate. Itachi would have to step in. That much was clear.

"I g-guess so." Hinata blushes and looks at her feet. "W-Who wants to go first and I can make it a bubble bath to hide…the more intimate parts or you could wrap a towel around your waist." She was such a sweet, shy thing.

Sasuke obviously needed his help. Both of them were far too shy at the moment for his younger brother to grab Hinata and bend her over the hospital bed. Though that was okay.

Itachi would just have to help his brother. He still felt tremendously guilty about that dream, but well at least it come become a reality for his brother.

"It wouldn't be fair to have you do it twice." He glances at Sasuke. "So if it's alright for Sasuke, it might be better just to do us both at once."

 _Do both of us at once,_ well that did have possibilities. Of course, his foolish little brother was far too territorial for such a thing and Hinata far too modest.

He would simply have to get the idea out of his head. That and help Sasuke survive the sponge bath with his dignity in tact. Itachi didn't know which of those two tasks would prove to be the harder one.

* * *

A few minutes later, Hinata was waiting outside one of the bathrooms for the Uchiha Brothers to be ready. She couldn't believe she was doing this! Her father would be positively scandalized and well, Hinata was scandalized.

Though she knew very well that this was the not so secret fantasy of most of the female staff at this hospital. "Are you ready?" She asks through the doorway, but that only made her embarrassment worse.

Hinata wasn't blind. The Uchiha Brothers were both exceptionally attractive men. The fact that she had barely spoken to Sasuke before he had gotten in the hospital and hadn't known the truth about Itachi until recently, didn't change that fact.

She just hoped that somehow she'd be able to make it through this sponge bath without making a complete fool of herself. Though Hinata didn't think that was very likely. She still had to try!

"Yeah!" Sasuke's voice. "We're ready."

 **Warning Bath Scene**

Hinata nods and opens the door. To her disappointment (she meant relief) they both had towels around their waist and were already inside the very large tub.

She tried to tell herself not to stare, but it was no use. Curiosity and biology won out in the end. Hinata just hoped that her staring wasn't noticed or they would pawn it off to her being shy.

"You should probably have a look at Sasuke's shoulder." Itachi smiles at her. "Just to be on the safe side."

Sasuke glares at Itachi as Hinata makes her way over. The Uchiha Brothers really were like lions. All beautiful, sleek muscles. There was something primal and predatory about their bodies.

Of course, had loved Naruto for years. It had been an innocent love though. A child's love. A child who didn't really ponder anything more passionate than kissing. That wasn't the case with Itachi and Sasuke.

"Alright." She tries to smile as she get gets behind Sasuke and starts slowly rubbing the sponge against his shoulder. "How's that? The touching should stimulate your nerve endings and ease the tension."

There was _nothing_ innocent about the sight of their mostly naked bodies in that tub. From their biceps, to their abs, to everything between. Not to mention one otherworldly lavender eyed and Sharingans. All of which were watching her so intently.

Sasuke lets out a sigh of relief. "Much better." To her shock, he leans back against her." Well Hinata, wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She slowly starts gliding the soapy sponge over his chest and down lower. A blush deepening on her face as she realizes Itachi was watching her every move. It was possible, even likely that the other Uchiha had feelings for her, but he didn't look jealous.

Quite the opposite really. "G-Good." Those crimson red orbs weren't radiating jealousy, they were smoldering with desire.

That confused her. Was he just watching her and not focusing on the fact that she was touching Sasuke? Yes, that had to be it.

Ten minutes. That's probably how long that it took Hinata to wash Sasuke, but it was both the most exhilarating and terrifying ten minutes of her life.

Sasuke was not a person who was used to being touched outside of battle. "All done." She had been partially worried that he'd misinterpret a friendly touch as a not so friendly touch or that he'd think she was trying to grope him.

Alright. It was wrong, but maybe her hands had lingered over his abs a little bit longer than they should have. She couldn't help it. It was curiosity. This was the first time that she had touched a man that intimately before. It was only natural!

"Good." Itachi smiles slyly. "That means that it's my turn then." Smiles like that only made Hinata more suspicious that Itachi did have feelings for her.

She nods shyly and heads over to him though. "Yes, it is. " And the bluenette proceeds to give him the same treatment as Sasuke.

Itachi sighs in pleasure as he feels the Hyuga Heiress's hands on him. It was far better than he had imagined in his dream. He knew that it made him a deviant, but he had enjoyed watching Hinata bathe Sasuke.

It was obvious that his foolish little brother had enjoyed it too. "That feels wonderful." It was likely that Sasuke was rather grateful for thick, fluffy towels. Otherwise, his brother would likely be feeling really embarrassed right about now!

There was just something alluring about watching her touch him. Her gentle hands and adorable blush. That must have been it.

A rush. That's what it had been. A rush to watch her with Sasuke. It was wrong, but he wanted to bend her over the side of the tub and make her scream and for some reason, he wasn't particularly adverse to Sasuke joining in.

"Good." Hinata smiles as she continues washing him. "I'm glad."

Sasuke watches intently. Just a few moments ago, Hinata's hands had been on him. Where he frankly would have preferred they stayed. That or he would have loved to return the favor.

He adjust his towel slightly at the thought. To run his hands over those gorgeous breasts and those seductive hips of hers. To cover her in soapy water and kiss her. To do more than kiss her…

Unfortunately, Hinata was acting like a professional medic. She was just doing her job. Sadly, Sasuke didn't think that she saw him as anything other than maybe a friend at the moment. He was just going to have to try harder.

Speaking of harder, again…thank goodness for fluffy towels. "I think that should do it." About five minutes later, Sasuke just couldn't take it anymore.

His sex drive had laid largely dormant during his time at the Sound and while he was traveling with Taka. His love for Hinata had been an innocent one. He had barely been more than a child when he left, that was probably why. Now, it was decided **not** an innocent love.

Now, his love was a lot more lewd. He wanted to see her in the nude. He wanted to shove her over the edge of the tub and touch her _everywhere._ Over and over.

"Yes, that should do it." Hinata blushes as she helps them out of the tub. "Well I'll let you guys get dried off and help you back to your rooms then." The bluenette promises as she swiftly darts out of the bathroom and leaves them to it.

 **End of Bath Scene**

* * *

"Well my dear foolish little brother, was it everything you dreamed off?" Itachi smirks at him.

Damn fucking right it was! Everything and more. Sadly, it wasn't enough and he probably should have asked for a COLD sponge bath.

Instead, he crosses his arms and looks away. "It was an exquisite torture." There was no point in lying to Itachi, but that didn't meant that Sasuke had to look him in the eyes as he made his confession!

"Good." Itachi smirks. "So now we'll move onto Phrase Two." Uh oh.

Sasuke wasn't entirely sure that he liked the sound of that. God only knows what his brother considered Phase Two. This might not end well.

"What's Phase Two?" It was one thing to learn _The Purr_ and have normal conversations with Hinata, but he had a feeling Phrase Two was a lot more involved. "And is it going to get me slapped?"

Itachi pokes his forehead and Sasuke glares. "Phase Two involves what I like to call Sexual Psychology, but she won't know that."

Sexual Psychology? Oh yeah. This was bad. Sasuke was definitely going to get slapped.

"And why won't she know that?" Hinata was a smart woman. "She might guess." He wouldn't have fallen in love with a simpleton, after all.

Itachi smirks. "You can tell a lot about a woman by her favorite things." Sasuke nods to show he was listening as he rubs his forehead. "For example, a woman's favorite color reveals a great deal about her _preferences_." And it was at that moment Sasuke knew that he was screwed.

He was moving onto the Chunin Stage. It felt like he was about to face Gaara all over again or something. This was very dangerous, but it could also be very rewarding. Decisions, decisions.


	6. Chapter 6

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well depending on how you read it the tallies are as follows: Option A received 3 or 3.5 votes and Option B earned 6 or 6.5 votes. So the winner was option B. To my Option A voters, there will be lots of fluffy moments later on. I'm still not entirely sure how long the hospital arc will be though. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 6

A few days later, Itachi Uchiha was less than pleased at the prospect of taking more medicine. This was especially the case when it came to these horrid food pills. Apparently, Sakura had designed them and they were highly effective when it came to delivering the nutrition that your body needed.

There was a catch though. They tasted awful. Itachi had always been the sort of person who took his medication without complaint, but this was ridiculous!

"Does my foolish little brother have to take these as well?" His lips curl in distaste as he tries his best not to glare daggers at the pills.

Hinata giggles and shakes her head. "No. You had an illness and he lost a limb." So he should have lost a limb instead? "There's nothing wrong with Sasuke's stomach or immune system." Other than not appreciating the glory that was a good bowl of cabbage soup, Itachi thinks to himself.

To his annoyance, Sasuke was watching the entire display. It looked like his foolish little brother might burst out laughing at any moment. Of course, he fully planned to get his revenge later. The other Uchiha had just earned himself many forehead pokes!

"Be a good boy, Itachi." Sasuke smirks, obviously enjoying tormenting him. "And take your medicine." Oh Itachi was going to get him back for this!

Hinata shakes her head in amusement as she places the pill in Itachi's mouth. He gives her a rather incredulous look at that. She was acting as if he was some difficult housecat who refused to take his medicine.

"After you two take your medicine, eat, and do your exercises, Lady Tsunade said that I'm supposed to give you a sponge bath again." That causes Itachi to open his mouth to say something, but he inadvertently swallows the pill.

That was a big mistake. Awful! It was absolutely ghastly. He would much rather have to endure Deidara's incessant chattering about art and explosions than this damn torture!

"That sounds like a good idea." Sasuke nods, smirking at Itachi's torment. "You know, Hinata's strange." He looks at her innocently. "We've known each other since our Academy Days and I still don't know your favorite color or your favorite food."

He would have been proud of his brother, if he wasn't choking on the most disgusting pill that he had ever had the misfortune of swallowing! That was very smooth and so casual. Maybe, he'd just give Sasuke one big forehead poke later.

Hinata turns her attention to Sasuke and smiles. "Oh you're right." The poor innocent girl had no idea that she was falling right into Phase Two. "It's purple, by the way. And I like cinnamon rolls with extra frosting." She smiles serenely.

Interesting answers. His own favorite color happened to be purple. As for her frosting though, well the elder Uchiha Brother was quite certain that Sasuke would be more than happy to give the woman her _extra frosting_ in more ways than one!

"Purple is a nice color." Sasuke nods.

He really was such a Genin. Well at least Sasuke was _trying_ to flirt. He just needed to refine his technique.

Oh well, Itachi supposed it was like anything else. One had to practice and eventually, they would get better at it. Right now, Hinata probably thought that Sasuke was merely being friendly at most. They would have to work on that.

Hinata smiles and nods. "Mhm." Her attention was at least on Sasuke though. "Though I imagine that you don't really like cinnamon rolls." That was a start. "You don't really struck me as someone who cares for sweets all that much."

Itachi tries his best not to snort at that. That was putting it mildly. Really, the former Akatsuki Member thought Sasuke's aversion to sweets was more psychological than anything else.

That was all the Academy Girls would give him. Chocolates and sugary goods. Sugary good with lots of frosting. And to be fair, those girls had been borderline stalking his foolish little brother even when he was only seven. So it was only natural that he would associates sweets with stalking and develop an aversion to it.

Sasuke nods at her theory. "I don't usually, but I do like you." Ah much better. Itachi might put that at Chunin Rank. Such progress!

Hinata blushes at that. Hinata was still a Genin though and that was being fairly charitable. Well at some point, he was sure they would figure it out. Though Itachi couldn't lie, he'd most thoroughly enjoy his sponge baths until then!

* * *

About three hours and one sponge bath later, Sakura was having lunch with Hinata at the Ramen Shop. To say the least, she was always eager to have lunch with the shy heiress. Of course, that had always been the case. It was just that it happened to be especially true now that they were sharing perhaps the biggest secret in the Leaf Village!

Itachi Uchiha had a crush on Hinata! Well that or at least that's what it sounded like. So far, the elder Uchiha Brother hadn't said anything directly. Though from what the Hyuga woman had told Sakura so far, it was still pretty damn obvious.

"I can't believe how open they're being with you." The pink haired woman blinks. "Sasuke actually said that?"

Sasuke had never said that or anything like that to her. Maybe, he really was trying to turn over a new leaf. Maybe, he was trying to make friends!

There might be another explanation though. Sasuke might know about Itachi's feelings for Hinata and if that was the case, the young Uchiha might just be being nice to her because of that. Because he suspected that the bluenette might be his Sister-In-Law one day!

Hinata nods shyly. "Yes, he really said that." She smiles at her friend. "It was sweet. I never would have expected him to be that social." Though a blush soon blooms on her face. "Or for Itachi to be such a Mini Jiraiya."

Sakura laughs at that. Not that Hinata could blame her. That last part had stunned her at first, but it was rather funny in a way.

"One brother is a pervert and the other brother has no interest in women at all." She shakes her head in amusement. "I suppose it balances out." Sakura nods.

That didn't solve Hinata's problem though. "I still don't know what I'm going to do." Itachi liked her. That or at least he was attracted to her.

Should she say something? Should Hinata just ignore it? The bluenette didn't know and that was more than a little terrifying. She honestly, should know!

"Well do you like him?" Sakura sips on her straw as Hinata glances around the Ramen Shop.

It was the same shop as always. The cheerful owner and Ayame were tending to it lovingly and the scent of food filled the air. There were probably a dozen or so other people inside it and she could see other Leaf Villagers occasionally walking by or walking into the shop.

So normal. The shop looked completely normal, but Hinata's life had stopped being normal as soon as she entered the Lion's Den.

Did she like Itachi? "I don't know." Hinata had never really thought about it that way before.

Before, she had just been trying to confirm or disprove her theory. The Hyuga woman didn't really have a clear goal beyond that in mind. Itachi was a hero, but in a very different way than Naruto was.

Naruto was the brave knight. Itachi was the tragic hero that did his good deeds from the shadows. The two men couldn't possibly be more different and yet, they both had good hearts.

The blonde had never noticed her as anything, but a friend. Itach on the other hand, well Itachi did seem to notice her. He noticed her a lot, but in a far less innocent fashion than she had ever dared to hope someone would.

"Well you really should start thinking about it more." Sakura looks at her with concern. "Itachi is a grown man." Her friend really did look worried for her and that was starting to make Hinata feel nervous. "Sooner or later, he's going to say something direct and you'll have to answer him."

That was true. Like she had for Naruto, but the blonde hadn't answered her right away. Revealing her heart to him like that and getting no response had been utterly devastating.

She may not know what exactly she felt for Itachi Uchiha, but Hinata knew she couldn't be that cruel. At the very least, he would deserve some kind of answer. The waiting and not knowing, well that was always the worst part.

"I'll think about it." And she would.

Itachi was attractive, he was strong, and he was intelligent. He was also very brave and loyal in his own way. Though it might be hard to get her Clan to truly understand his actions.

Oh Hinata was sure that they would understand intellectually. Self-sacrifice was something that was built into the Hyuga Clan, particularly amongst Branch Members. Still, it was one thing to sacrifice one person for the good of the Clan. It was another to sacrifice a Clan for the good of the village.

Sakura nods approvingly. "Good because you're likely going to be working with him for awhile." She pauses and adds as an afterthought. "Sasuke might be discharged in a month or two, but I wouldn't be shocked if they had Itachi stay in the hospital for six months or even a year."

 _A year._ Hinata winced at that. After everything that Itachi had been through, keeping him cooped up in a hospital for that long seemed like torture. Still, it was for his own good.

* * *

Back with the Uchiha Brothers, Sasuke sighs. Well he had tried. He was making some progress. Well at least he hoped so.

"I am proud of you." Itachi looks at him. "It was a very genteel attempt, but you attempted flirting all by yourself."

Sasuke couldn't help, but roll his eyes at that. Apparently, his brother really did view him as a child when it came to this sort of thing. No matter how accurate that might be, it was still irritating.

At his core, the Uchiha knew the truth. He was a perfectionist. Sasuke hated not being good at things, especially something like this. Something this important.

"You don't need to act like I'm some puppy you taught to play fetch." Again, Sasuke rolls his eyes.

Itachi chuckles at that. "Well we did learn some important things today." They did? "Purple was an interesting choice."

Oh right. The Sexual Psychology thing. Sasuke still didn't understand what Hinata's favorite color was suppose to reveal, but whatever. Maybe, Itachi knew something that he didn't.

"What's purple mean?" Sasuke was almost afraid to ask, but he would.

Itachi smirks. "Well purple symbolizes someone who is very compassionate and thinks of others before themselves." He pauses for a moment and then adds. "It's very feminine and romantic. Luxurious and the symbol of royalty as well."

Sasuke shakes his head at that. Well that did sound like Hinata, even that last part. After all, the Hyugas were considered a Noble Clan. So the royal aspect wasn't that far off.

"Alright, but you didn't really tell me anything that I don't already know." Sasuke frowns.

Itachi leans over and pokes his forehead. "Foolish little brother, don't be so impatient." Again with the forehead pokes?! "A woman like this is rather shy initially, but also hedonistic once she feels comfortable. She'll likely be quite the vixen in the bedroom."

Now, Sasuke felt like smacking his brother. He had seen the way Itachi had admired Hinata's backside. His brother was clearly attracted to Hinata. Though he really hoped that it was only skin deep.

Itachi wasn't shallow enough to try to steal the woman he loved based off a physical attraction. He knew his brother better than that. Though Sasuke wasn't sure what he would do, if it turned out to be more than that.

"Good to know, pervert." He glares at Itachi.

What if Itachi really did fall in love with Hinata? What if Hinata fell for him? Could he live with that?

Itachi deserved to be happy and so did Hinata. It would be selfish of him to keep them apart, but she was the only woman that he had ever loved. Could he give her up?

"You keep saying pervert as though it's something to be ashamed of." Well it was _supposed_ to be! "It's not, Sasuke." Their mother would likely wash Itachi's mouth out with soap for his deviancy! "It's a perfectly natural, human desire and people really should just learn to accept that."

Maybe. Though he knew that Itachi was on another level of deviancy than him. If his brother really did fall in love with Hinata, he had almost no chance with her.

It was bad enough to compete with Naruto, but Itachi? Itachi was his brother. His brother who had always been better at everything than him. Apparently, except taking his medicine. He couldn't compete. He would have to bow out and that thought terrified him.

"Whatever." He rolls his eyes again, trying to act causal.

She was his first love. It was so easy to put your first love on a pedestal. Could he really handle seeing them together? He didn't know.

Sasuke shakes his head to clear these unpleasant thoughts from his mind. As far as he knew, it was just an animal attraction on Itachi's part. He wasn't in love with Hinata.

Hell, he was trying to teach Sasuke how to seduce Hinata. Maybe, there was nothing to worry about. He was just overanalyzing things!

* * *

A few minutes later, Sasuke and Itachi both blink as the hurricanes known as Naruto came into their room.

Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Well Naruto, you can visit with them for an hour." She heads towards the door. "No more than that though. We don't want to overload them."

Naruto grins. "Alright!" This was going to be great! Believe it!

Hinata nods at the brother reassuringly as she heads off. Though Naruto noticed something really strange was going on with the Bastard. He was watching Hinata really closely.

"Something wrong?" He glances at his friend in concern.

Sasuke shakes his head immediately. "Other than the fact I had my arm blown off?" The youngest Uchiha really could be such a bastard sometimes, Naruto thinks to himself!

Obviously! Though he knew that he was really lucky. Kurama had speeded up his healing process a lot. If he didn't have the Nine Tails, he'd probably still be laid up in a hospital bed too!

Which would have really sucked. Naruto hated hospitals. Of course, it would have been a bit easier to endure his treatment with Hinata and Sakura as his medics, but still!

"Well yeah!" He grumbles at Sasuke.

Itachi chuckles and shakes his head. "Who are those flowers for?" He raises an eyebrow at the bouquet of sunflowers in the blonde's hand.

Naruto grin returns. He couldn't help it. It was finally his chance to bring a little bit of sunshine into the Bastard's life and he was going to take it.

"They're for you and Sasuke." He nods as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "I mean that's what you're supposed to do when your friends get sick. Get them flowers."

Sasuke gives him a dirty look. "You're such a loser." He was not! "Why the Hell do you think we'd want sunflowers?"

"Sasuke, be nice." Itachi sighs heavily as he takes the flowers with a smile. "Naruto, is just wishing that we get better soon."

That was damn right! Well at least Itachi understood where he was going with this. He should have known that the Bastard wouldn't!

"I got some food." Hinata smiles as she walks into the room.

Her medic uniform was different than usual. Short sleeves and shorts. Probably because it was hot as Hell. This summer had been unforgiving. Much like the war had been, Naruto notes.

Though something strange did catch his eye. "Thank you, Hinata." Sasuke was actually _smiling_ as he took his food tray from the bluenette with his good arm.

Sasuke never smiled. Well almost never. Granted, he'd kinda had a lot to be upset about before. Still, Naruto hoped that his best friend would find happiness. He just…never thought that he'd see Sasuke smile so sincerely and so quickly in a hospital of all places!

"You're welcome." Hinata smiles back and then gives Itachi his soup. "And here's yours, Itachi. Cabbage soup." Yuck. "Your favorite." That was his favorite?!

Itachi really as insane. How could anyone ever like cabbage soup? He was so weird!

"Thank you, Hinata." He smiles serenely at the Hyuga woman.

Back to Sasuke though. It was bizarre. Sasuke just couldn't stop looking at Hinata. It was a lot more than could have ever been considered normal, even by Naruto's standards.

Something big was up! It couldn't be possible, could it? Did Sasuke actually like Hinata that way?!

"You're welcome." She smiles at Naruto. "Well I have to go check on some other patients. So take good care of them for me."

He nods dumbly. What else could he do? His mind had just been blown. Had the Leaf's most antisocial ninja, suddenly fallen in love with the shyest woman in the village?!

This was going to drive Naruto crazy. He had to find out what was going on. "Yeah. Don't worry." He beams at her. "I'll keep an eye on them." Hinata thanks him and heads off.

If he hadn't studied with Pervy Sage for so long, Naruto might not have noticed it. He had though and so the way that Sasuke's eyes were following the sway of Hinata's hips was obvious. The bastard, really did like her!

"Loser, why are you gaping like a fish?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

Because his best friend was in love! Holy Hokages! Whoa! And with Hinata at that!

"Um no reason, sorry about this but I promised that I would train with Kurenai Sensei!" Yeah! That sounded good.

That had both Uchiha Brothers raising their eyebrows. Damn. Maybe, he shouldn't have said Kurenai. She was a Genjutsu Mistress and Naruto sucked at Genjutsu. It was his weakest spot.

"Since when do you train with Kurenai?" Sasuke looks at him in disbelief.

Naruto shrugs and then strikes a dramatic pose. "Well I'm gonna be Hokage one day!" That was true! Believe it! "So I figured it'd be good, if I started working on Genjutsu. You know, just to make sure I don't fall for one at the wrong time and Kurenai Sensei is being nice by helping me with it!"

That was believable, right? Kurenai Sensei was pretty nice. Mostly though, Naruto just wanted to talk to her because she was Hinata's teacher. She would know what was going on.

"That is a wise decision." Itachi nods. "Good luck on your training."

Sasuke nods as well. "Whatever, Loser." Apparently, he wasn't going to argue either. Thank goodness because Naruto really didn't have another excuse ready, if he didn't.

"I'll see you guys later!" And with that, Naruto bounds off.

* * *

Sasuke shakes his head as he looks at Itachi. He didn't believe Naruto and he doubted his brother did either. Something was up.

"He's not going to train with Kurenai." That much was obvious.

Itachi nods in agreement. "I don't believe he is either." Even his brother looked slightly baffled.

Itachi didn't do baffled. Well at least that's what Sasuke thought until today. His brother looked genuinely perplexed at the blonde's behavior.

He glances at Itachi. "What do you think he's really up to?" Because they both sure as Hell knew that Naruto wasn't going to train in the Art of Genjutsu.

That blue eyed ninja was a force of nature, but Genjutsu was all about subtly. If there was one thing that Naruto couldn't do, it was subtly.

Not that Sasuke was really in much of a position to judge him. His own Genjutsu was basic at best. Though he had managed to fool Danzo. So it would do in a pinch. It just wasn't a style that felt natural to him.

"I'm not sure." He sighs heavily. "Though I expect we'll find out soon enough." That was probably true.

Naruto couldn't keep a secret to save his life. So whatever he was really doing with Kurenai, would come to light. Eventually. That was assuming that the blonde had even gone to see the Genjutsu Mistress at all, which was something of a gamble.

He might have just been scrambling for an excuse and for whatever reason, her name had come to mind first. It was probably nothing, but Sasuke had a bad feeling about this. Naruto had a habit of meddling far too much in his life and somehow, he was sure that is exactly what the Nine Tails was planning on doing.

He was going to meddle. "Should we be afraid?" He looks at Itachi with concern.

"Sasuke, we're dealing with Naruto Uzumaki." His brother shakes his head. "The answer is yes. We should be afraid." Itachi was clearly just as freaked out as Sasuke was. "Very afraid."

Sasuke sighs and nods. That's what he had been afraid of. If Itachi was feeling this wary, it was likely for a very good reason. There were only a handful of things that could rattle someone like his brother. A meddling Naruto was one of them.

"Well I guess we should just enjoy our meal for now and deal with it when it happens." Not like they had a choice. "There's not much we can do while we're in the hospital."

Itachi nods in agreement. "That's true." He takes a spoonful of his soup. "No reason to let such a lovely meal go to waste, after all."

Sasuke smiles at that as he eats his tomato salad. It was the little things that mattered most. The little things such as the fact Hinata remembered his favorite food. That gave him hope. Maybe, he actually had a chance, after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Though Option B won in the vote, last chapter we had an informal vote of sorts going on. Four people wanted angst and four people begged me to be nice to Sasuke. There will be angst, but I do promise a happy ending. So people who were asking for me to be nice to Sasuke, I will…eventually. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 7

A month had passed since Itachi introduced Sasuke to the world of Sexual Psychology with an emphasis on colors. The younger Uchiha was starting to wish his brother had done that. Now, he was overanalyzing every color he saw.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what's pink lingerie mean?" Sasuke glances at Itachi.

It was rare, but occasionally he would spot just a hint of her lingerie. Mostly her the straps of her bra. Though there had been that one time that Hinata had bent over and her shorts had ridden _dangerously_ low on her hips and Sasuke swore he saw a thong.

Itachi chuckles. That sadistic bastard was probably enjoying this! "Pink means feeling romantic, but in an innocent way." Right.

Well he didn't care for pink _hair_ , but Sasuke could work with pink _lingerie_ on Hinata. Actually, he could work with almost anything on Hinata. She might even be able to make orange sexy. (A feat that he had formerly thought was impossible, but this was Hinata)!

"That does suit her." Sasuke pauses as he considers something. "Do you think that she'd ever wear red or black?"

From what Itachi had told him, black and red were what Sasuke had privately dubbed the Aggressive Sexy Colors. It was definitely a take no prisoners approach to lingerie choice.

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "It's a rare woman that doesn't wear those colors at least occasionally." Oh good. Hinata would look positively glorious in them. "Though Hinata strikes as someone who wears lighter colors more often."

Yeah. That was probably true. That's when Sasuke frowns. Itachi had clearly been thinking about this a lot.

He didn't like it. The younger Uchiha kept trying to tell himself that he was being ridiculous. That Itachi didn't love Hinata. That his brother was just physically attracted to her. (Mostly because Itachi wasn't blind).

Unfortunately, it wasn't really working. "So can I graduate from Chunin to Jonin?" Maybe, he was imagining it and maybe, he wasn't. Either way, Sasuke wanted to move on.

Itachi chuckles and leans over to poke his forehead. "Don't be so impatient." He gives him a sly look. "There are some women that you can go straight to Kage Level with and some that you need to invest quite a bit of time in the earlier stages with."

Sasuke nods in understanding. He didn't need elaboration on that part. Any woman that would be that easy to win over, didn't appeal to him.

"Good to know." He cautiously moves his arm. "Damn." It still hurt to do so, but at least it was now bearable.

Itachi shakes his head as though something occurred to him. "And believe me Sasuke, you don't want anything to do with Kage Level Women." To which Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

What kind of idiot did Itachi take him for? He wasn't Suigetsu! Sasuke wasn't foolish enough to fall into bed just anyone. One had to be very careful.

"Did I mention that Mei hit on me once?" Sasuke smirks at the memory. "Just so you know." No one could hold a candle to Hinata in his mind, but the female Kage was beautiful and well he couldn't resist the chance to tease his brother.

Itachi just shakes his head though. Damn. That was no fun. His brother was just not taking the bait.

Another forehead poke. "No, you didn't." This time though, it was Itachi's turn to smirk. "Though Naruto may have mentioned it." That never ended well for Sasuke. Itachi smirking. "I told you that your pretty face was an asset when it came to seduction, even Mei apparently acknowledges that."

Sasuke twitches at that. "Itachi." He was growling and he knew it, but the younger Uchiha just couldn't bring himself to care. "For the last time, I do not have a pretty face. Mei said I had a _handsome_ face!"

Pathetic. He shouldn't fall for Itachi's gentle jab, but the younger ninja couldn't help it. It was like it was hardwired into his DNA or something.

Competing with Itachi. He'd always been competing with his elder brother, even when he was little and worshipped the ground the older boy had walked on.

 _Five or six. He had been five or six years old when the truth first dawned on Sasuke. Maybe seven. That he would never quite measure up to Itachi in his father's eyes or the rest of the Clan._

 _"You did well." Fugaku nodded as he looked over Sasuke's Progress Report._

 _The report that had his marks from the Academy on it. Sasuke was at the top of his class! Maybe, his father would finally notice him now!_

 _He'd nodded his head and tried not to show how excited he was. "Thank you, Father." Fugaku Uchiha was not a man who appreciated childish displays of exuberance. Even at this age, Sasuke had already realized that much._

 _Sasuke smiled shyly though. "If you keep this up, you'll be an excellent ninja one day, just like your brother." And Sasuke tried not to show how crestfallen he truly was at that statement._

 _"_ _ **You were supposed to say as expected of my son,"**_ _the young boy thought to himself. It was a compliment and Sasuke realized that, but it rang hollow. At best, he was a cheap imitation of Itachi._

 _It had always been that way, he supposed. Even when talking to his Auntie, his Aunt had recalled that Itachi had already_ _ **graduated**_ _from the Academy at this age!_

 _Sasuke wasn't ready to graduate the Academy. That meant that he was already behind. Itachi was simply too gifted for him to ever be on par with him. It didn't matter that Itachi said someday Sasuke would surpass him. That day was never going to come._

 _"Come, dinner should be ready by now." Fugaku stood up and gestured for Sasuke to follow him._

 _He felt guilty about that thought. "Yes, Father." Sasuke shouldn't be so bitter towards his brother._

 _The Academy Student adored his brother. Above all others, but it was just hard sometimes. Hard to never measure up._

Itachi chuckles and nods. "Yes, I suppose you do have a handsome face." He shakes his head. "Though it's a good thing that you didn't pursue Mei. You never would have been able to handle a woman of that experience."

Sasuke rolls his eyes at that. "It was more the fact she was a Kage and at least ten years my senior." That and he had other things on his mind at the time. "And she's no Hinata." No one would ever compare to her.

Sasuke was sure of that. Most boys got crushes. It was a normal part of growing up, but he hadn't. It had always been only her for him. Any attraction he might have felt towards another girl or woman had always been fleeting.

The thought gone almost as quickly as it had come. That probably had something to do with the fact that revenge had entirely consumed him though. Revenge, Hinata, and Naruto had been the main thoughts on his mind for years.

"No, she's definitely not Hinata." Itachi agrees.

Naruto was in a class all his own though. That idiot refused to be ignored. Which begged the question, why did he have such a hard time noticing when girls liked him? More specifically, why hadn't he noticed Hinata?

Not that Sasuke was complaining. If Naruto had noticed Hinata, they'd probably already be engaged or even married. Really, he was lucky that the loser was completely oblivious. Still, it was pretty astounding. Seriously, how could Naruto **not** notice?!

* * *

About two hours later, Hinata comes in and smiles. "Are you ready for your exercises?" It was part of their care routine.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Itachi coughs harshly and covers his mouth.

Hinata rushes over to him. "It's alright." Thankfully, these incidents were starting to decrease for Itachi, but it was still alarming.

The man had been knocking on death's door not that long ago. Really, his physical recovery was quite astonishing. Though it wasn't a miracle. He wouldn't get better overnight.

She hands him some tissues and a glass of water. "I know." He smiles at Hinata and takes both gratefully.

It really was such a serene smile. Both of them had nice smiles. Unfortunately, Hinata doubted they'd be smiling much when they got out of here.

She and the rest of the medical staff were getting used to the Leaf's Lions or The Uchiha Brothers as they were known. That wouldn't be the case outside these walls though. Hinata knew in time a big announcement would have eto be made.

One that would clear Itachi's name. "How are you two feeling?" She smiles at both of them.

What would he do afterwards though? Sasuke had said that he wished to forge stronger ties with other Clans. Was that something that Itachi was also interested in and if so, which Clans?

"Better now that you're here." Itachi smiles charmingly at her.

That smile could definitely melt a glacier, Hinata decides. It had been a month and she was still no closer to deciding what she wanted to do about Itachi's affections. Though Sasuke seemed to have decided.

Both Uchiha Brothers were treating her far more warmly than she had ever expected. Sasuke seemed to be going out of his way to inquire about her day and for all the world, appeared perfectly content to hear her prattle on about the little things. And Itachi was well, Itachi.

The man never missed an opportunity to flirt. "I'm glad that Sasuke will be released before you." The bluenette shakes her head. "I'm not sure the women of this village can handle you, just yet."

It was true. Sasuke's arm transplant had gone swimmingly. A month at most and he would be out of here. Maybe, even sooner.

"Oh I don't think you have to worry yourself about such things." Itachi laughs and shakes his head. "My attention is rather selective as is Sasuke's."

Really, it seemed almost cruel to split them up, but the younger Uchiha just didn't need as much treatment as Itachi did. Itachi had almost died. So had Sasuke, but his injury was one that could be treated faster.

"Itachi!" Sasuke glares daggers at the other man.

Glaring really was something that Sasuke was good at, Hinata muses. He should probably copyright that glare. The Uchiha Death Glare Jutsu. The most deadly Jutsu known to man!

It didn't seem to work well on Itachi though. "Sasuke, you're being foolish." His elder brother must have developed an immunity against it or something of that nature.

"You're the foolish one!" Though it was nice to see them bicker as normal brothers. "Not me!" It was sweet.

Hinata laughs and smiles. "Well since you're both feeling so animated today, it shouldn't be any trouble for you to do your exercises." That shut them both up rather quickly.

She sighs. Hinata knew that both of them hated their physical therapy. To their credit though, they did their exercises without complaint. Even if they clearly weren't happy about it.

"Alright." Sasuke starts slowly moving his arm. "The pain is still there, but it's tolerable."

Hinata nods in understanding. Spending too much time around Itachi was obviously turning her into some sort of deviant though. She couldn't help, but admire his biceps as he flexed.

It wasn't entirely her fault though. Really, this arm was something of a medical miracle. It was shaped exactly like the other arm and they had even gotten the skin tone right. (Something she was sure was rather difficult to do). Save for the marks around his shoulder where it had been attached, Hinata probably never would have guessed it was a transplant.

Itachi sighs and gets out of the bed. "Very well then." He begins stretching his arms over his head. "I suppose I'll do my stretches then."

Definitely lions. Beautiful and deadly. There was a predatory grace about each of them. Though perhaps it was more subtle in Itachi and explosive and Sasuke.

She really shouldn't look at either of them that way. They were her patients and Hinata hadn't decided what she wanted to do about Itachi. How deep were his feelings? Was he just lonely? Was this all some sort of game to him? A way to pass the time? Hinata didn't know and that thought scared her.

"Very good." She smiles at them. "You two are improving dramatically."

The Hyuga Heiress didn't want to get too attached only to find out it was a game. That or Itachi was just bored. Toying with her emotions didn't seem like something he would do, but Itachi Uchiha was still an enigma.

Who really knew what went on in his head? The man had played the part of a serial killer perfectly and yet, fell in into the role of a loving brother and charmer so easily.

"Thanks." Sasuke smiles and Itachi nods in acknowledgement as they continued their exercises.

* * *

An hour later, Hinata excuses herself to go and tend to other patients. Itachi looks at Sasuke. Well he was feeling more hopeful today than he had been in awhile.

"That was progress." He smiles.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that. "What was progress?" He could live to be a thousand and the younger Uchiha swore that he would never fully understand Itachi.

His foolish little brother really was foolish, Itachi muses to himself. Sasuke hadn't noticed. He really hadn't noticed that Hinata had been looking at his arms far more intently than necessary.

"Your Byakugan Princess was admiring your arms, particularly your biceps." Oh well. "She's attracted to you. That much is obvious." The elder Uchiha didn't mind spelling things out for him.

After all, Sasuke had loved this woman for years and Itachi did want him to be happy. If being happy meant helping him win over the Hyuga Heiress, that was exactly what the older Uchiha would do. It didn't matter that both parties were adorably oblivious sometimes.

Sasuke blinks as though Itachi had just grown another head. "You really think so?" Oh Gods and Goddesses, how was it possible that his brother could be this naïve?

Nevermind. Itachi knew the answer to that question. It was his fault. Sasuke had never been given the chance to have a normal childhood and that was why his emotional development had been stunted.

"Yes, I really think so." Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "And it's even more apparent in the sponge baths."

Itachi didn't think that it was a good idea to tell Sasuke that Hinata had also been looking at him. As beautiful as she was, he couldn't do it. The other Uchiha couldn't "steal" away his brother's love over a physical attraction.

Alright. It was more than a physical attraction. There was something deeply compelling about the shy woman. Itachi was drawn to her. To her kindness. Her softness, but he wouldn't act on it.

Sasuke smiles at that. It was endearing really. "Good." His brother was head over heals for this woman.

Thankfully, that was still mostly a secret. As far as Itachi knew it was only him and Sasuke who knew. Though Naruto had come frighteningly close to unearthing the truth.

 _Three weeks ago, Sasuke had been lead off for a private exam with Tsunade. That meant that Itachi was left alone with Naruto. Naruto had been visiting them._

 _"So Itachi, there's something that I kinda wanted to ask you about." Hmm. That was interesting. "It's about Sasuke." Even more interesting._

 _He feigned ignorance though. "What is it?" It wouldn't do to excite the boisterous ninja even more than he already was._

 _If there was one thing that the blonde had in spades, it was energy. Itachi had never seen anything like it. Even without the Nine Tails, he was certain Naruto would have far more energy than the average person._

 _"Well you're his brother." Obviously. "So you know him pretty well." Again, that was a given. "Do you think he likes Hinata?" Damn it!_

 _This wouldn't end well. Naruto couldn't keep a secret to save his life. Obviously, Itachi was going to have to throw him off the trail._

 _The sapphire eyed ninja meant well and Itachi knew that, but he would ruin all their carefully crafted plans. That couldn't be allowed to happen! He had his future nieces and nephews to think of!_

 _"What makes you say that?" Itachi raised an eyebrow._

 _Naruto blushed and the elder Uchiha Brother takes that as a very bad sign. "I'm pretty sure I caught him checking her out as she was leaving, the other day." Oh boy._

 _Itachi obviously had to do damage control here. Fortunately, Naruto was Naruto. He was such an honest person that it was hard for him to believe other people were liars and lying was something that he was very good at._

 _"He was just watching her leave." Itachi shook his head. "Besides, have you ever seen him look at a girl before? What makes you think that situation has changed now?"_

 _Naruto frowned and nodded. "Yeah. I guess you're right." And Itachi mentally sighed in relief._

Disaster had been adverted. Though he still suspected Naruto might not have completely bought it. That was why he had encouraged Sasuke to be more careful around Naruto.

If he didn't watch it, the blonde might confess to Hinata for Sasuke. That would just end in disaster and was obviously an unacceptable outcome. So some caution was necessary.

"So do you really don't think that I should step it up a notch?" Sasuke glances at Itachi.

Itachi shakes his head. "No, not yet." It was selfish, but he couldn't help but feel relieved by that fact.

Part of him, didn't want to "give her up yet." Which was ridiculous. Hinata was never his to begin with and Sasuke had loved her first!

* * *

Elsewhere Sakura hands Tsunade's the reports. The reports that Hinata had given her. The former Hokage wanted to be kept abreast of any changes to the Uchiha Brothers' behavior.

"They really do seem to be taking a liking to her." Tsunade observes as she reads the report. "I have been getting requests to work with them." The blonde pauses. "From some of the other medics."

Sakura mentally gulps. Damn. She really hoped that Tsunade wouldn't hand Sasuke's and Itachi's care over to someone else. Hinata was making real progress!

Though she wasn't sure how to say that. "Lady Tsunade, I wouldn't risk it." Without making her Sensei suspicious. "Itachi and Sasuke have established a bond with Hinata. They don't have that bond with any of the other medics." This was especially the case, when it came to Itachi.

Tsunade shakes her head and smiles. "I wasn't going to grant the requests." She sighs and continues. "Well not exactly. I'll have some other medics check in on them and assist Hinata a bit, but she's still going to be the one in charge of their recovery."

Oh. Well that was okay. As long as Hinata was still in charge of their recovery, she had an excuse to be close to Itachi. It was actually, probably a good thing to get the other medics involved.

That way, they'd get more used to the Uchiha Brothers. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade." Which would make them seem less scary and make the grand unveiling of the truth to the village less traumatic overall. "I'm sure that Sasuke and Itachi will appreciate that greatly."

That day was getting closer and closer. Sasuke was recovering quickly and Itachi had turned the corner. It would be a long time before the elder brother was fully recovered though, but he was on this way.

The worst of his recovery was behind him. "Of course." Itachi was going to live and that was that. "I'm not cruel enough to change their medic at this point." Tsunade sighs heavily. "Those two have been through more than enough without my altering their routines so drastically."

Yeah. Sakura couldn't disagree with that. She had no idea what it must be like. Sasuke's entire worldview had been shifted out from underneath him and Itachi had lived. Something that the other ninja certainly hadn't been expecting even a year ago.

"That's true." Sakura smiles. "Well I guess I'll get started on my other rounds then."

Tsunade nods approvingly and dismisses her apprentice with a wave of her hand. Which was all the approval Sakura needed to discretely head out of the blonde's office and run straight into Hinata.

"Umpf!" That was embarrassing. "Sorry, Hinata!"

Hinata makes a small grunt of surprise. "It's okay, Sakura." It was a miracle they hadn't both landed flat on their backsides with a bump like that.

She really needed to watch where she was going. Still, now that the bluenette was here, Sakura wasn't going to pass up this opportunity. Then again, she never passed up any opportunity to hear more about the Lion's Den. (Who could really blame her though)?

"So how'd it go?" She looks at her friend anxiously, eager to hear every little juicy detail.

Hinata sighs and looks around warily. "Well their physical therapy is coming along nicely." The shy young woman was likely worried that they might be overheard or something.

It was a valid concern. Nothing would scandalize the Leaf faster at this point than rumors about Itachi Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga being a couple! Though that might change after the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre was revealed!

"That's good, but that's not what I meant." Sakura shoots Hinata a disapproving look.

Hinata looks at her feet and sighs. "Well Itachi is still being very flirtatious and Sasuke is being really friendly." Sakura thought as much. "I'm not really sure what I'm going to do about this, but Itachi is getting better." So she had to decide soon.

Sakura smiles at her. "You deserve to be happy, Hinata." She really did. "And if you find happiness with Itachi, the rest of the village is just going to have to deal with that fact. Love is love." And if anyone had a problem with that, well Sakura would just have to start throwing a few punches around. No one messed with her best friend!


	8. Chapter 8

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Oh and in case this wasn't clear for some reason, this is a Sasuke x Hinata x Itachi story. So Hinata will love both Uchiha Brothers. Eventually. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter because it's the most emotional one yet.

 **Chapter Notation:** Warning the angst is coming, but I do promise a happy ending.

Chapter 8

Time seemed to past swiftly in the hospital. One day blended almost seamlessly into the next as far as Itachi could tell. Not that he minded. Strangely enough, he was rather enjoying himself. Well except for one thing.

He had no idea where his foolish little brother was at the moment. "Hinata, where is Sasuke?" Itachi hadn't seen the other man all day.

Which was unusual to say the least. They had been sharing the same hospital room for months. Itachi had grown accustomed to seeing Sasuke laying in the bed a few feet away from him or doing his exercises at all times.

Idly, he muses that might not be healthy. "Oh he's with Lady Tsunade." Itachi would worry about that later though.

With Tsunade? Ah well that was fine then. No harm would come to Sasuke while he was with that busty former Hokage.

Well other than dying of curiosity maybe. Were those breasts real? Itachi had seen women with large cleavage before, like Hinata. Tsunade was in a completely different league though. Those had to be enhanced somehow. Surely.

"Oh good." Itachi pauses, deciding it would be prudent to gather more information. "Why is he with Lady Tsunade?" After all, it was always prudent to do so.

Hinata nods and smiles. "Yes, he's scheduled for release in three days." What?! "Well that's if everything goes well on his final examination." Why had no one told him about this?!

Now, he was going to be forced to lay in that bed or do his exercises alone until Hinata or another medic came by. Obviously, he was happy for his brother. Of course, Itachi was. That didn't change the fact that he was going to go stir crazy though.

Maybe, he should ask Kakashi for some of his books. Just something to pass the time with. Hopefully, he wouldn't imagine Hinata as the heroine in them though.

"That's wonderful news." The elder Uchiha Brother would just have to put on a brave face. "I'm quite certain Sasuke would be ecstatic not to be a hospital patient anymore." Itachi smiles at her reassuringly. "You have taken such good care of us, but you know how proud he can be. He hates asking help."

Hinata nods in understanding. That was just one of the many things that Itachi liked about the woman. She so rarely got offended by well anything. It seemed almost impossible to truly anger her.

Though Sasuke had told him that the woman had challenged Pain once. She'd lost of course, but it was the principle of the thing. The Hyuga Heiress had been willing to sacrifice herself for the people she loved. He could respect (and relate) to that.

Hinata shakes her head and caresses his cheek. "You don't have to do that." She looks at him with concern.

"I don't have to do what?" Itachi blinks in confusion.

She smiles at Itachi reassuringly. "Force yourself to smile." Hinata leans closer to him. "I know that you'll miss him, after he's discharged."

Well Itachi had to give Sasuke credit where he was do. Clearly, he hadn't fallen for the Hyuga woman merely for her beauty. She was intelligent in an unassuming way. At the very least, Hinata was a person who was constantly aware of her environment.

"You're right." Itachi nods, conceding her point. "I will miss him, but I suppose that it's a habit." Forcing himself to smile.

Forcing himself to pretend that nothing was bothering him. Most didn't notice. That was by design, of course. Itachi Uchiha was a man who had been given a part to play and he had played it to perfection.

He had played the role of the unfeeling criminal for so long, that the line between reality and façade had started to blur. Blur to a disturbing degree. Fortunately, he had Hinata and Sasuke now. That made it better.

Her smile never wavered. "Well you shouldn't have to worry about that." Hinata shakes her head as if coming to a decision. "You've been through more than enough. You should be able to express your feelings freely."

Itachi merely nods in response. What could he say to that? The elder Uchiha Brother was still working on doing exactly that. These things took time.

Speaking of time though, Itachi had almost no time to react when he felt Hinata brush her lips against his own. "I know that you like me and I like you too." And after making her sweet declaration, the Hyuga Heiress kissed him.

* * *

Meanwhile Sasuke was getting examined by Lady Tsunade. He'd never really cared for checkups, but he was relieved. Relieved that finally he'd be out of this damn hospital soon!

"Well it looks like your body took to the transplant very well, all things considered." Tsunade writes a few notes on her clipboard. "Go easy on that new limb. It is not going to be as strong as your other for awhile, but it's functional for everyday activities at the moment."

Sasuke nods at this. That was good news. Of course, he wasn't a complete idiot. It'd likely be awhile before he could charge up a Chidori with his new arm, but he'd take what he could get.

Still, it was probably better to ask. "How long do you think it will be, before I can use Jutsus with this arm?" Just to be on the safe side.

"I'd start slowly practicing summoning chakra in it over time." She pauses as if considering it. "For a couple months. Only summon tiny portions of chakra into it." Another pause. "Don't use an actual Jutsu. You just want open the chakra network more."

Right. That made sense. It might not be in his nature, but for now Sasuke would simply have to take it easy. That much was obvious.

There was no need to argue with her about it though. "Understood." It wasn't as if there were very many ninjas who could pose a severe threat to him, even if he could only use Jutsus with one hand.

"Good." Tsunade actually smiles at him. "Well Itachi is making tremendous progress, but I can't release him from the hospital yet in good conscience." Damn it!

Sasuke had been hoping that he would go home with Itachi. It had been foolish, but he had always pictured them going back to the Uchiha District together. No matter though.

Itachi just needed more time to recover. So Sasuke did the only thing he could do. "That's fine. I'll let him know." He forced himself to smile and politely dismissed himself from Tsunade's Office.

* * *

Hinata almost couldn't believe she was actually doing this. She had finally acted on it. She was kissing Itachi Uchiha.

He looked rather shocked, but he wasn't pushing her away. The Hyuga Heiress decides to take that as a good sign. After all, it was only natural that he'd be shocked that she was kissing him.

Everyone knew that Hinata was shy. "Hinata, wait." Itachi breaks the kiss briefly to look at her.

Wait? Wait for what? Itachi had been flirting with her for months. Why did he want her to wait?

"Is something wrong?" Was she not a good kisser? "I know that I'm probably not very good at it yet, but I'll get better with practice." She shyly looks at her feet and blushes.

He wouldn't hold that against her, would he? That Hinata had almost no romantic experience to speak of and even less kissing experience? Itachi was older than her. Clearly, he was more worldly than her in this respect.

Surely, he had been aware of this though. Nothing escaped Itachi's notice. He had to know that Hinata had never seriously dated anyone before.

Itachi blinks at her as though he was shocked. "Hinata, that's not it." He smiles at her and caresses her cheek. "You are a wonderful kisser." She was?

Hinata smiles at that. No one had ever said that to her! Probably because she hadn't kissed anyone before, but she digressed.

That one simple comment seemed to put all her doubts to rest because she kisses him again. "Good. So are you." She smiles at him more between kisses.

Itachi kisses her back. It was nice. Hinata likened his kiss to a fine wine. Elegant and rich, without being overpowering. His tongue gliding over her own in a sensual dance. Coaxing her, making her moans softly as she wraps her arms around his neck.

She tries her best to return the kiss. Hinata tries to copy his movements and must have succeeded because he soon grabs her by her backside and deepens it even more.

"You'll have to forgive me." He murmurs between kisses.

Forgive him? Forgive him for what? Maybe, he was referring to what happened to his Clan? Yes, that must be it.

"There's nothing to forgive." She shakes her head. "You did what you thought was best."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Hinata and Itachi, Sasuke had just turned the corner and was about to head back into his room, when he saw them. His eyes widened and he quickly walks away, feeling something burn against his cheek.

Sasuke didn't even need to look to know what it was. A single tear. So that was it then. That was how a dream died. Suddenly and yet, with a million warnings proceeding its violent death all at once.

"It's not their fault." He sighs as he leans against the wall in another hallway. "It's not her fault." It wasn't. "Or his."

Itachi had been _trying_ to help him. His brother had made every effort to teach Sasuke how to get Hinata's attention. It was just that Itachi was _**better** _ at that sort of thing.

He had clearly been moving too slow and Itachi had been flirting with Hinata. As painful as it was to admit, it was only natural that she'd interpret his flirting to mean that Itachi had feelings for her. Why wouldn't she?

"Damn it!" He punches the wall, leaving a fist sized whole in it. "Damn it!" He didn't care though.

Physical pain was something that he was used to. He didn't enjoy it , but Sasuke could easily tolerate it and it provided a much needed distraction. A distraction from the utter agony that was currently raging within his heart.

He had lost her. Not that he had ever really had Hinata to begin with, but still. Sasuke had lost the dream of her.

What hurt even more was that he deserved this. "I did ignore her for years." Of course, Hinata wouldn't think of him that way.

He had barely even looked at her in the Academy. He'd only ever spoken to her once before ending up in this damn hospital again. The Byakugan could see many things, but it wasn't capable of reading another person's thoughts. How was she supposed to know?

That didn't solve the problem though. What was he supposed to do now? He didn't blame them. Sasuke felt a bit bitter, but logically he knew that this had probably been destined to happen.

Itachi deserved happiness and so did Hinata. If they had found that with each other, it wouldn't be right to stand in their way. That would be the ultimate sign of selfishness and he had promised himself that he was going to change.

He wasn't going to be that monster anymore. "I don't know, if I can do it though." Sasuke sighs to himself.

Could he really do it? Could Sasuke stand aside and watch them fall in love and do nothing? Could he give her up that easily?

He wanted to say yes, but he knew that was a lie. Still, Sasuke loved her. Hinata didn't love him, but that didn't make his feelings for her any less real.

"Well they always said that if you love someone, you let them go." That's what he'd have to do. "I just never knew how hard that was until now."

* * *

The kiss lasted for several minutes. "I'm sorry, I have to go." That was until Hinata's beeper went off. "It's a red button." An emergency then.

"That's fine." He nods his head quickly. "Go! I'll still be here when you get back." Not that he knew what he was going to do when she came back, but that didn't change the fact that Itachi would indeed still be there.

Hinata smiles at him and quickly darts off. How could he have allowed this to happen? Why did it have to be her?

The one woman that his foolish little brother had ever truly loved in a romantic sense and Itachi had to go and fall for her too! It wasn't right. He should do the right thing and explain the situation to Hinata.

Though it was more likely than not, nothing good would come of it. The poor woman would be humiliated. Sasuke would be as well and he would be breaking her heart.

"This is what they call a lose-lose situation." To break his brother's heart or Hinata's? "This is karma's way of making me pay for my misdeeds." Itachi didn't want to break either, but it seemed unavoidable.

At the very least, he owed it to Sasuke to tell him the truth. That and his brother was likely to find out soon anyway. If Hinata truly wanted to be with Itachi, she was likely going to say or do something to indicate that in front of Sasuke.

He could picture the end result of such an occurrence so clearly in his mind. The very thought made him wince.

 _"I_ _ **trusted**_ _you!" Sasuke snarled at Itachi as he slammed him against the wall._

 _Itachi made no attempt to avoid his brother's attack. He deserved it after all. After everything that he had done to Sasuke, this was unforgivable._

 _Sasuke never should have forgiven him for his other crimes, but this was a bridge too far. He'd earned every glare, every cruel word, and every strike that that his heartbroken little brother would give him._

 _He looked at Sasuke and sighed. "I'm sorry." Itachi had said that a lot to Sasuke and it seemed that he couldn't stop saying it._

 _No matter what he did, he always hurt the other man. The only family that Itachi had. His precious baby brother was the one that he always hurt. It almost seemed as though he was cursed._

 _Cursed to hurt the ones he loved. "Sorry?!" Sasuke's fury was like a living, breathing creature at this point. "You're sorry?!" A rabid and snarling one at that._

 _Of course, Itachi couldn't judge him. He had just stolen the woman that Sasuke loved. The woman that he had loved since childhood. Itachi Uchiha deserved all this and more._

 _"I know that what I did was wrong." He dared himself to look at his brother again. "I never intended for any of this to happen!"_

 _Sasuke's Rinnegan and Sharingan were whirling with unbridled fury and hatred. "Is that somehow supposed to absolve you of everything?!" He slammed his fist into Itachi's chest. "You never intended to kill our family either and now, you've stolen her from me!"_

 _Itachi started to choke on his own blood. "S-Sasuke!" His brother wasn't done though._

 _Sasuke was going to kill him. He knew that much. This was the end. The end of everything._

 _"I should have done this a long time ago!" Itachi felt a sharp pain in his chest. "I should have torn out your treacherous heart like you've done to mine so many times!" He snarled and ripped it out of Itachi's chest and then…_ Itachi snaps out of his horrifying vision.

"Why did this have to happen?" He sighs.

* * *

Hinata had finally finished caring for the patient and was doing her rounds with Sakura. The bluenette found herself very grateful for this fact.

After all, she had to tell someone and Sakura was the only one who knew about Itachi! She had kissed Itachi Uchiha and he had kissed back! Her life was never going to be the same!

"You actually did it?" The pink haired medic blinks in shock.

Hinata nods her head energetically. She couldn't believe it either, but she had really done it! And now, there was no going back.

She still wasn't certain how she would ever tell her family. "I did." Hinata would find a way though. "I kissed him." Sakura was right. Love was love.

Well perhaps it was a bit early to say she loved him. Hinata did like him. She liked him a lot and he was an amazing kisser. That was certainly something!

"Wow." Sakura blinks again. "How was it?" That was a good question.

Hinata feels her face grow hot. "Really good." She was blushing and she knew it, but she couldn't help it.

It was her first real kiss. She knew that no matter what happened next, she'd never forget this!

"Well that's good." Sakura smiles at her. "Does Sasuke know?"

Hinata shakes her head. "No. Not yet." She smiles at her friend. "Though I don't think he'll mind." Itachi had been flirting with her right in front of Sasuke for awhile.

That was probably why the other Uchiha had been so nice to her. He likely knew that this was going to happen and wanted to be on good terms with her because of it. Sasuke was smart that way!

Well actually, Sasuke was really smart in general. It was just he had a bad habit of being impulsive and allowing his emotions to blind him. He tended to lash out when in pain.

"That's good." Sakura smiles at her.

At least, that used to be the case. Hinata was convinced that he was sincere about starting over. And she really hoped that he would be able to.

The Uchiha Brothers had both been through so much pain. It was about time for them to have a chance for a normal life. Maybe, this was the beginning of something new. Of something wonderful!

* * *

Ten minutes later, Sasuke smiles as he ties a scroll around a messenger hawk's legs. There were lots of messenger hawks at the hospital. It was so that patients and their loved ones could communicate easier. After all, one couldn't visit all the time.

"Make sure this gets to Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo." He pets the beautiful animal. "As soon as possible." And hands it a treat, before the bird flies off to deliver its precious cargo.

Sasuke had made a decision. He would leave the Leaf as soon as he was discharged from the hospital. Not forever, but for awhile. Just long enough for him to come to gripes with _everything_.

It would take time, but eventually he'd get used to it. The younger Uchiha Brother would get used to the sight of Hinata and Itachi together. In love. And in time, maybe he'd even get used to thinking of the woman he loved as his Sister-In-Law.

Well that was assuming, that their courtship ended well. Sasuke knew that it would though. Itachi was a Kage Level Master of Seduction. On the other hand, he was at best…a Chunin. That was probably why Hinata had chosen Itachi.

That and Itachi hadn't ignored her throughout their Academy Days, especially after Hinata had only ever been nice to him. Of course, Sasuke thought that he had been protecting her. Hinata hadn't known that at the time though.

"At least this way, I won't be standing in their way." He sighs as he watches the hawk fly through the sky.

He wished that he had wing of his own. That he could fly like Garuda. Away from this place, but he still likely had a couple days before he was discharged.

Besides, Team Taka would need time to plan anyway. Sasuke was taking Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu with him on his journey. Mostly, because he didn't want to be alone. Alone with his thoughts.

If nothing else, his second team was quite good at distracting him. They were loud. They'd keep him from focusing on the pain he felt. It would be good for him.

"That and maybe I'll do some good out there." He could slowly work on earning some form of redemption. "This might work out for the best."

While he had been pardoned of his crimes legally, his reputation was another matter. That might never recover, but Sasuke would try. After all, it was likely Itachi would restore the Clan with Hinata.

He didn't want his nieces and nephews to suffer because of him. Sasuke would try his best to reclaim his good name and by extension, his Clan's.

* * *

Later that day, Itachi sighs. It was time to face this. Whatever this was. Sasuke had a right to know.

He looks at his brother now that they were alone and sighs again. This wasn't going to be easy, but it was the right thing to do.

"Sasuke, I have an apology to make." He looks at him anxiously. "And I completely understand that you're likely going to hate me." It was now or never. "But there's something I must tell you."

The only response he got was a light snoring sound. Itachi blinks. Oh. His foolish little brother must have fallen asleep then.

Hmm. That was strange. Since when did Sasuke snore? Nevermind. He'd just have to tell him in the morning.

"I'm so tired of keeping secrets." He shakes his head. "I'm not going to do that to you anymore. Secrets are what has kept us apart so long." And what was likely going to break them.

One way or another though, Sasuke was going to find out about that kiss. He was going to find out about his feelings for Hinata and Itachi had no idea what he was going to do about either of those two things. He did know one thing though.

Itachi was going to be the one to tell Sasuke. He would face his brother's wrath like a man. And if the other Uchiha wanted to, Itachi would allow him to vent his frustrations physically.

He shakes his head once more at the thought. "We were never destined to live easy lives, but this is absurd." Itachi looks at Sasuke who was currently sleeping on his hospital bed. "I am sorry though, for what it's worth."

Sasuke winces underneath the blankets. He had pulled them over his head and was pretending to snore. He didn't want his brother to know that he was actually awake.

"I know." He wasn't sobbing, but that tear was persistent. "I know, Itachi." The words couldn't be heard by his elder brother. They were simply too quiet.

The ghost of a whisper. That's what they were. Still, Sasuke voiced them anyway. His brother hadn't meant to hurt him and Sasuke knew that.

That didn't change the fact that Itachi had hurt him, but at the end of the day…it was Hinata's choice. She had chosen Itachi. Sasuke would have to live with that. It was that simple.


	9. Chapter 9

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I know that I was cruel to Sasuke in the last chapter and will likely continue to be so for several chapters, but the majority of voters did vote for Option B. The Angst Option. **Rest assured though, that there will be a happy ending and plenty of lemonade later on.** With that in mind, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 9

The day of his discharge had finally dawned. Sasuke would be leaving the hospital in a few moments, but for now he had to say goodbye to his brother and to Hinata. He didn't know which was harder.

"Just focus on getting better." Sasuke forces himself to smile at his brother. "And you'll be out of here soon."

It killed him. The younger Uchiha knew that his brother had been trying to make his confession almost as soon as _The Kiss_ happened, but Sasuke wouldn't let him. It wasn't his fault and he already had made up his mind.

Itachi chuckles and pokes Sasuke's forehead affectionately. "Of course." He smiles at Hinata. "Though I'm not entirely certain how quickly I wish to leave the hospital when we have such a beautiful medic looking after us."

 _He was still trying._ It was strange, but Sasuke supposed that his brother was still trying to help him. Itachi probably thought that he was going to play the martyr **again.**

Not this time. Fate had a sadistic sense of humor, Sasuke muses to himself. Once Itachi had given up everything to protect him and now, he was going to do the same for his brother.

"I-Itachi!" Hinata blushes and the younger Uchiha mentally winces.

Well at least no one had to die for the sake of the village this time. In the grand scheme of things, Sasuke knew that he was still being selfish. Itachi had given up their family, his home, and his reputation to protect **him**. And Sasuke was "giving up," a woman that he had never had in the first place.

Did she _have_ to blush like that though? So innocently and cutely? In a way that made him wonder how far down that blush extended?

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "It's the truth." The former avenger blamed the other Uchiha that thought.

Before Itachi's _assistance_ Sasuke's thoughts had rarely ventured into that territory. In his defense, he had had far more important things on his mind. Still, like every other teenager, occasionally he had wondered about it. Just not nearly as much.

Hinata smiles and blushes more. "Well I'll make sure to save you lots of tomatoes for when you come and visit him." And of course, she had to be so considerate and smile at him more. Just to make this all a little bit harder.

Sasuke could only hope that he was a better actor than he thought. Right now, he was almost there. The young ninja just needed to say his goodbyes and make sure Itachi got his letter.

After that, he could leave the Leaf. Sasuke had no clue where he was going to go with Taka. He just knew that he couldn't be here.

"Thanks." Another fake smile. "I appreciate it." He was turning into Sai.

Sai his replacement. The man that they had put on Team Seven, after he left. He was **replaceable**. That's what he was.

Hinata nods and looks at him with concern. "Are you alright?" Damn it! He must not be a good actor. "You look sad."

Despite everything, Sasuke hated lying to her. Maybe, he could come up with an excuse that was technically true, but not the whole truth. Was lying by omission really as bad as directly lying?

Oh well. It was just another thing to add to his long list of sins. Sasuke Uchiha was about to lie to an angel.

"I just wish that Itachi was leaving here with me." Again, another fake smile. "I'll be okay though." Eventually.

He wasn't sure when. In time, he'd face reality. The reality that Sasuke was never going to be with Hinata. At least not when he was awake.

Dreams were a different story though. He both looked forward to the dreams and dreaded them. They would at once be beautiful fantasies and grueling torture.

Itachi glances at him. "I should certainly hope so." Maybe, his brother sensed there was something wrong. "Don't worry, I'll be out of here before you know it."

Though there was little that he could actually do about it at the moment and they both knew it. Itachi wouldn't be out of that hospital for at least a few months yet. Maybe, the better part of a year.

"Good." He smiles. "I'm going to go check on Taka." At least that wasn't a lie. "I didn't think it was a good idea to have any of them wandering around the hospital during my recovery." Sasuke adds as an afterthought. "Because it would freak the staff out. So they're probably pretty anxious to see me."

Hinata nods in understanding. "Alright." She smiles at him sweetly. "I'm glad that you've made bonds with them." Too sweetly. "That you made some more friends." It shattered his heart all over again.

What was he supposed to say to that? Were Suigetsu, Jugo, and Karin his friends? He had been willing to sacrifice them during those dark days. Those days when he thought of only revenge.

It was an interesting question though and one that he would likely have endless time to ponder. Sasuke Uchiha didn't _dislike_ them. They could be really annoying sometimes, but he didn't dislike them.

"Yeah." He nods. "Me too." Eh. Close enough.

Sasuke was annoyed by most people. The fact that he could tolerate their presence for long periods of time probably qualified as friendship. Besides, Hinata seemed so sincere in her desire for him to make friends.

He couldn't disappoint her. The youngest Uchiha would let her have that illusion. It might not be true, but it could be true. Maybe, by the time he got back…they'd be friends.

"Don't do anything foolish, Sasuke." Itachi looks at him.

Damn. Itachi _knew_! He knew that Sasuke was going to do something "foolish." His brother might not know what, but Itachi knew something was up. Damn it!

"I'll think about it." He smirks at Itachi. "There's a reason why you call me your foolish little brother, after all." And with that, he heads off.

* * *

Later that day, there was a tap on Itachi's hospital window. The eldest Uchiha quickly gets up and it. There was a messenger hawk. A messenger hawk with a scroll attached to its feet.

"Thank you." He smiles and pets the bird a bit, before giving it a treat and opening the scroll.

It was as he feared. Sasuke indeed had done something foolish. Itachi had expected it to happen eventually, but not like this.

 _ **Dear Itachi,**_

 _ **I know that you've been trying to tell me what happened between you and Hinata. It's okay. You don't have to say it.**_

 _ **I saw it. I saw everything. It's not your fault. I don't blame you. I don't blame her. You two aren't responsible for my inaction.**_

 _ **At the time, I did what I thought was right. I thought that I was protecting her from you. I didn't know the truth, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is that she chose you.**_

 _ **It's selfish of me, but I can't be in the Leaf now. I want to support you two and I do, but I need some time to get over it. That's why I've left the Leaf again.**_

 _ **Don't worry. I will be back. I've taken Taka with me. So I won't be alone. (Not that it would matter because I'm more than capable of handling things on my own, but the thought might bring you comfort).**_

 _ **This was my decision. Not yours. So don't blame yourself. I love you and I will be back. I just don't know when. In the meantime, I wish you both all the best. And who knows, maybe by the time I get back…I'll be an uncle.**_

 _ **You once gave up everything for me. I can't say that this is exactly the same. I never really had a chance to be with her, but this is the closest that I could come. So don't deny yourself happiness. You've already suffered more than enough!**_

 _ **Love, Sasuke.**_

Itachi sighs as he rereads the letter. "I told him not to be foolish." So what did Sasuke go and do? "So naturally, he was foolish."

In a way, he was shocked by his brother's behavior. He had expected Sasuke to lash out in a violent rage. Instead, he was trying to play the part of the martyr.

That was supposed to be his job. He was the one who was supposed to suffer in silence. Then again, this wasn't exactly suffering in silence.

"At least he told me." Now, Itachi didn't have to wonder.

Still, that didn't help him much in planning his next move. It was likely that Sasuke had been planning this ever since _The Kiss_ happened. Most likely Taka had already prepared the traveling supplies and Sasuke's team had left almost as soon as he was out of the hospital.

That meant Taka had several hours on him, even if Itachi was foolish enough to pursue them. A few hours might not seem like that much time, but for ninjas of their caliber, it was.

They might already be well on their way to another Great Nation or one of the smaller ones by now. There was really no way to tell where they were heading.

"Where would he have gone?" That was the question.

Itachi knew enough about his brother to realize he didn't necessarily have a favorite place. He had traveled all over the Five Nations though. It was likely that he knew how to stay out of sight, if he didn't want to be found.

To make matters worse, the elder Uchiha doubted that Sasuke even had a specific destination in mind. So it was really anyone's guess where he might have gone with his team.

He sighs and looks at the letter again. "And Hinata is going to ask about him." Itachi just knew it.

While Hinata probably hadn't realized Sasuke had feelings for her, she at least cared about him as a friend. She was going to wonder why he wasn't visiting Itachi. What on Earth was he going to tell her?

"If I tell her the truth, she'll feel guilty." The Byakugan Princess would feel horribly guilty over something that wasn't her fault. "But Hinata does deserve to know." That and he didn't like "lying" to her.

Itachi had had enough secrets to last a lifetime. He had meant that when he said it to Sasuke's sleeping form and he meant that now. Still, how could he possibly soften this blow?

Hinata was going to blame herself. That much was obvious. She'd likely want to go after him, but the bluenette wouldn't have any idea where Sasuke had gone.

"I'll just tell her that he left to find himself." That was the truth. "He didn't give me permission to reveal his feelings." And no good would come of doing so.

* * *

They had been traveling for hours now and had made it into the Rice Country. Something was wrong with Sasuke. Jugo just knew it.

"Jeez. Slow the fuck down!" Suigetsu whines.

Hell, even Suigetsu could tell and he wasn't the most perceptive individual. Why was Sasuke in such a hurry to leave the Leaf? He had been there for months and hadn't shown any real desire to leave before a couple days ago.

Obviously, something bad had happened. Jugo just didn't know what and that thought disturbed him. How was he supposed to be Sasuke's shield, if he didn't know what he was supposed to protect the other man from?

Karin swats Suigetsu upside the head. "Quit whining!" Maybe, Karin sensed it as well.

That or she was just smacking the sword lover around for fun. That was after all, a very real possibility. The red head regularly took every opportunity that she could find to do that. To smack Suigetsu.

"Owe!" Suigetsu glares at her. "I'll quit whining, when you quit being a bitch!"

That was the wrong thing to say. Well this was fight number six as far as Jugo could tell. They'd probably hit double digits before they made camp.

Sasuke twitches as he turns around, his Sharingan and Rinnegan whirling. "You're both being annoying!" That causes Karin to deflate and Suigetsu to grumble.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Usually, it took the man at least another four hours before he would snap at their teammates. "Is your arm in pain?" The youngest Uchiha had just gotten a transplant.

That would make anyone grumpy. It had to be painful to get an entirely new limb attached. Maybe, that was why he was snapping so easily today.

The raven haired ninja shakes his head. "Nothing's wrong." He looks around. "We're pretty far from the Leaf now. Let's make camp." He suddenly stops in the middle of a forest just a few miles away from a small village that Jugo knew was nearby.

That just further solidified his theory something was wrong. It would have made more sense to press on. Sauske was just dodging his question at this point and Jugo was going to find out why.

* * *

At that same time, Hinata walks into the Lions' Den. Though for once, there weren't two lions. There was only one.

"I know this must be hard for you." She smiles at Itachi reassuringly as she sits on the edge of his bed. "Still being cooped up in the hospital while Sasuke has been discharged."

Itachi nods in that serene way he had. Hinata had never met someone else who had suffered so much, but was so accepting about it all. At least on the surface, she knew the truth.

Just beneath the surface, there was an entire ocean of pain. One that Itachi took great lengths to hide from everyone. Perhaps even himself.

"I know, but there's something that you should know." Itachi sighs.

That didn't sound good. Sighs like that were never good. Why did Itachi sound so _guilty?_

She tilts her head in confusion. "What happened?" Hinata could scarcely imagine what would make Itachi Uchiha act this way.

There was almost nothing that this man couldn't handle. Being forced to choose between his Clan and the Leaf. Being forced to live an Akatsuki Member. Lying to his most precious person. Surviving an illness that should have killed him. What could possibly be making him this nervous?

"It seems that Sasuke has left the Leaf with Taka for awhile." Itachi pauses and quickly clarifies. "He says that he'll be back. My foolish little brother needs to find himself."

Hinata blinks and actually flinches. Perhaps, she should have seen it coming. Sasuke knew that Itachi was stable now. He knew that Itachi was going to be in the hospital for the foreseeable future and he had every other reason to want to leave.

No matter how sincere the youngest Uchiha was about turning over a new Leaf, the people of the Hidden Leaf would make that difficult for him. They would look upon him in equal parts awe and fear. Fear or hatred. She couldn't blame him for wanting to leave.

She bites her lower lip guiltily though. "I should have realized he was thinking about leaving." He had gotten quieter in the past couple days. "What are we going to do?"

Itachi sighs and shakes his head. "Unfortunately, there's not much we can do." He shoots Hinata a pained smile. "He's been pardoned and is free to come and go as he pleases. We also don't know where he went."

Itachi was right. Trying to find Sasuke at this point would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There was a reason why it had been nearly impossible to find him when he left the Leaf the first time!

"How do you know that he left?" Hinata blinks.

For some reason, that question only made Itachi look more guilty. "He left me a letter." Oh. Well that explained that.

There was probably more to that letter than just Sasuke saying he was going to find himself. "Can you send any crows to look for him?" Hinata pleads with Itachi.

His crows could cover long distances, quickly. Couldn't they? She knew that Itachi had a Crow Contract.

There was a lot of variety in Summoning Contracts, Hinata notes. Naruto had toads. Sakura had slugs. Sasuke had hawks and snakes and Itachi had crows. Maybe, she should look into getting a Summoning Contract. It seemed like the type of thing that might be really useful in a situation like this!

Itachi shakes his head. "That would be a bad idea." He sighs heavily as if being weighed down by something. "Even if they found him, it's up to Sasuke whether or not he wishes to return."

"I guess you're right." Hinata kisses his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." The bluenette smiles at him. "He'll come back to us. I know it."

Itachi nods as he smiles at her. "Of course." And for a moment, Hinata felt guilty for what she was about to do.

Only for a moment though. As soon as she left the hospital, she swiftly heads towards the Hokage's Office. After all, few people would know Sasuke better than Kakashi. (Well other than Itachi and Naruto, of course)!

* * *

Five minutes later, Kakashi looks up from his desk at the Hyuga Heiress. He was utterly bewildered. What was Hinata doing here at this hour?

"Is something wrong?" He tilts his head in concern.

One moment, he had been half focusing on some paperwork and on Jiraiya's final book and the next, Hinata had shown up. This had to be serious. He couldn't imagine the shy, young woman barging in like this otherwise.

Hinata suddenly seems to find her feet fascinating. "It's about Sasuke." A telltale sign that indeed something had gone very wrong.

The fact that it had to do with Sasuke could mean only one thing. "He left again, didn't he?" An Uchiha had left the Leaf Village. Looking at the clock, he idly muses it must be Tuesday.

That was one Clan that was very hard to predict. Though judging by the fact the Leaf was still in one piece, Sasuke had kept his promise to turn over a new Leaf. He had just decided that he couldn't do that in the Hidden Leaf.

"Yes, he did." Hinata nods sadly.

Oh boy. Not this again. First, Sakura. Now, Hinata. And to think that Kakashi had thought Itachi was joking that day!

 _"You shouldn't feel guilty." Kakashi shook his head at Itachi._

 _Itachi sighed in response. They were both ANBUS now. To say that the younger man was climbing through the ranks would have been an understatement. At twelve, he was already an ANBU and there were rumors he'd be made into a Captain soon._

 _"I know, but I can't help it." He shook his head. "I always tell him next time, but being an ANBU is murder on one's social life."_

 _Kakashi nodded in agreement. Apparently, Itachi had a younger brother who idolized him in the way that little brothers sometimes did. And of course, the elder Uchiha kept getting called away for ANBU Missions._

 _Though he was sure the kid would understand one day. "Itachi, he's six." He shrugged. "Of course, he's going to be disappointed that you can't play with him all day." That was normal behavior for six year olds. "He'll understand when he gets older."_

 _"That's true." Itachi laughed. "Well I suppose, that he'll have no shortage of playmates." The other ANBU shrugged. "Pity that he's so shy and still doesn't understand what all those chocolates mean from girls."_

 _Kakashi couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. Oh this poor kid._

 _"Do you have a picture on you?" This should be funny. "I mean he's six and they already want to play house?"_

 _Itachi nodded and showed a picture. "He's going to be a real heartbreaker when he grows up." He smiled.  
_

"I thought he was joking." Kakashi shakes his head in disbelief.

Hinata blinks and looks up at Kakashi in confusion. "Lord Hokage?" Oh wait. He had said that out lout. The CopyCat Ninja shouldn't have done that!

Now, he needed an excuse. That or he needed to distract her. Hinata would think he was out of his mind, if he told her what he had been thinking about.

"Well it's understandable that you're worried." The other ninja sighs. "Did he say where he was going?"

Best to just focus. Kakashi wasn't worried about Sasuke's physical safety. There were probably less than a handful of people in the entire world who could pose a serious threat to him. He'd be fine.

Hinata looks close to tears. "No. He just left a note with Itachi saying that he was going away on a journey to find himself." The poor girl. "And he took Taka with him."

Well that was something. At least, Sasuke wouldn't be alone. Kakashi knew that Sasuke would be fine physically, it was his emotional well-being that was more in doubt.

"That's good." He sighs and looks at Hinata reassuringly. "Don't worry. Sasuke is **exactly** like a cat." Kakashi smiles at her. "He's got nine lives and always lands on his feet."

Hinata seems slightly reassured by that. "Isn't there something that you can do?" Hmm. Good question.

The Hyuga Heiress's behavior did surprise him though. It was hardly a secret that the bluenette had feelings for Naruto, but she was acting closer to how Sakura had when Sasuke left the first time than as a concerned friend.

"I can put the word out to the teams who are in in the field to be on the look out for him." The silver haired ninja did feel bad for Hinata. "They'll let me know, if they see anything. This is his choice and we have to respect that though." She looked so crestfallen. "He's a free man, Hinata."

She nods slowly, seeming to accept that. "I know no one can bring him back, if he doesn't want to come back." Thankfully, the Hyuga woman didn't have Sakura's temper. "Still, I just want to know that he's okay and I miss him. And I know that Itachi does as well."

Interesting order there. Wouldn't it have made more sense for Hinata to say that Itachi missed Sasuke first? Yes, clearly something was going on here and Kakash would get to the bottom of it!

"Exactly." He nods. "I'll tell you, if I hear anything." Kakashi smiles at her again. "I promise."

Hinata smiles back. "Thank you." Before heading towards the door. "Oh and Kakashi, he's not exactly like a cat." She giggles. "Well at least not a housecat, anyway."

Kakashi raises an eyebrow in amusement. Well this should certain prove entertaining. He gestures for her to continue.

"If he's not a housecat, what would you compare him to?" The CopyCat Ninja chuckles.

Hinata smiles as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "A lion." And with that, she heads off.

* * *

Hmm. That actually made a lot of sense, now that Kakashi thought about it. And now, he had a brilliant idea to break his tie with Guy.

Guy and Kakashi always had competitions. This time the first one to win the majority of 100 victories, would be the winner. The loser had to buy the other dinner.

"Six months." He gave it six months. "Six months before they're dating and I give it two years before the first Mini Uchiha arrives." Yep. That sounded about right.

He was definitely going to win this bet. It would be most amusing to see what Guy said though. If nothing else, the Green Beast could always be counted on for his loyalty and to provide his friends with many laughs.

"Now, where was I?" He reopens his books. "Oh yes, this is my favorite part!" The love confession.

Perhaps when Sasuke got back, Kakashi would lend him this book. It seemed his former student was in desperate need of it. "He may have abandoned his first goal, but there's no need to give up on the second one so easily." The Hokage chuckles as he flips another page in his book and settles in for a good read.


	10. Chapter 10

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well it seems passions are running high for this story. I've got feedback in all directions from people asking for fluff and lemonade all the way to suggestions about when Itachi and Hinata should get together and/or when Sasuke should reenter the picture. I know that I have been cruel to Sasuke so far, but the majority of voters wanted to see more angst. Though things will start getting easier for Sasuke after this chapter. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Viewers' Choice/Story Notation:** How long do you think the Taka Traveling Adventures Arc should be? Short, medium, or long? Earlier, there was another Viewers' Choice listed, but I have come to a decision about Itachi and Hinata. **Based on early feedback,** I've decided that Hinata and Itachi won't get together until the situation with Sasuke is resolved.

Chapter 10

Itachi sighs as he watches Hinata the next day. She was still clearly devastated. He hated to see her in this state, but what made it worse was that he was the cause of her distress.

"He'll be back." He smiles at her reassuringly.

Of course, he hadn't been intentionally trying to seduce the Hygua Heiress. Itachi had merely been trying to help Sasuke do so. He never would have dreamed that the bluenette would misinterpret his instructional attempts for genuine flirting.

Hinata nods as she quickly sets about taking his vitals. "I know he'll be back." Barely holding back the tears in her eyes. "He promised that he would be in the letter, right?"

He felt as though he had betrayed his own brother. Itachi had "stolen" Hinata from Sasuke, even if that hadn't been his goal.

She was the one woman that his foolish little brother had ever shown an interest in and he had ruined it. To make matters worse, Itachi was fully capable of introspection. He was growing increasingly fond of Hinata to an alarming degree.

"Yes, he did promise." Which he shouldn't. "Sasuke will be back. If nothing else, my foolish little brother always keeps his word." Maybe, there was still a way to salvage this. Somehow.

If he told Hinata the truth, perhaps she would understand. It would be highly embarrassing and she would feel guilty, but Sasuke might have a chance. That would be the right thing to do. So why did the thought of doing so fill him with dread?

Hinata nods as she sets down his meal tray by him. "You're right." The bluenette shakes her head. "It's not as if anyone could seriously hurt him out there. He's too strong." That was a valid point.

Well at least it was a valid point from a physical perspective. Emotionally was another matter. Itachi had hurt Sasuke. He'd been unintentionally cruel to him and perhaps that was the worst kind of cruelty.

Assuming that Hinata didn't return Sasuke's feelings for one reason or another, then what would his foolish little brother do? Would he ever love again? Itachi wasn't so sure that he would.

Uchihas loved and hated with equal measure. Sasuke was no exception to this rule. Could he ever truly move on from his first childhood love?

"Of course, I'm right." Well either way, Hinata deserved to know the truth. "Though there is something you should know." That and his brother didn't have take this secret to the grave.

Hinata looks at him in confusion. "What is it?" It was those eyes, Itachi decides. That must have been why.

He could understand why Sasuke had so easily fallen for them when he was a child. They were beautiful and so expressive. So caring. Even now, Itachi had a hard time reminding himself that this was for the best.

"The reason why Sasuke left." Itachi looks out the window. "It was because of me." He wouldn't allow her to blame herself for this.

Hinata didn't have any idea that his brother was in love with her. It was only natural that the Hyuga Heiress would assume he was the interested party. There would likely be no more kisses between them.

That saddened him. Itachi didn't deserve her. His hands were soaked in blood and mostly the blood of his own Clan at that, but that didn't make this any easier. So this is what Sasuke was feeling when he wrote that letter.

Hinata's gaze only grows more confused. "How is this your fault?" Giving up on the possibility of love was painful, but he'd do it.

He'd do it because they both deserved better. Itachi honestly would be quite lucky just to assume the role of a doting uncle. By all rights, he should be dead by now. He was being ungrateful.

"What I told you about the letter was true." Itachi sighs and braces himself. "But there was more." A lot more.

* * *

It didn't take long for Taka to reach a nearby village. Well admittedly, village was a rather charitable description. Mostly, it was a loose collection of farms with other necessary buildings scattered about such as a school, a hospital, and a few modest shops.

"Well we could use the help." A middle aged man smiles at Sasuke. "Busy mending the fence. So if you all want to stay and help us take care of the animals, that'd be greatly appreciated!"

His name was Zeko and he was a farmer. A farmer who was willing to give them room and board for awhile. Which was just fine with Sasuke.

The Uchiha might have little control over his own life, but feeding animals was a simple task. A mindless one that would keep him busy. Something that he desperately needed at the moment.

He finds himself returning the smile. "That sounds perfect." Ignoring Suigetsu's protests.

Idiot. What did he think they'd be doing? That they'd become bounty hunters for a few months or years? Sasuke wanted to redeem himself and doing small good deeds like this was a place to start.

Not that Sasuke would have said no to a good fight at the moment. He would have done just about anything to get his mind off of _her_. This just happened to be a more productive use of his time than cracking skulls, even if Suigetsu disagreed.

"Wonderful." Zeko smiles. "Well judging by those muscles, you should have a look at the horses." He looks at Jugo as he brushes his long brown hair away from his neck.

Yeah. That made sense. This man obviously didn't have any idea who was really dealing with. He had no way of knowing that they had all been wanted Criminal Ninjas at one point. This was a small, civilian village that Sasuke doubted they would even recognize a Leaf Headband from say a Mist one.

"Alright. " Jugo smiles and heads off towards the stables.

Karin nods as she watches their friend bound off. "What about me?" She looks at Zeko.

There was something rather thrilling about that. Here no one had any idea who he was. Well other than his team.

It was a real chance to start over. Of course, Sasuke had no intention of staying here. Eventually, he'd return to the Leaf. Just not for awhile.

"How about you go check on the Hen House and collect the eggs?" He smiles at her.

Karin blinks, but heads off. Though Sasuke didn't miss the fact that Suigetsu was now snickering at this turn of events. He couldn't entirely blame the sword lover this time though. The image of Karin trying to collect chicken eggs was amusing to say the least.

"What about me?" Suigetsu looks at him.

Zeko turns his chocolate brown eyes on Suigetsu and pauses. "Well you like to swing that sword of yours around, maybe you can chop up some wood for the fence." That was the understatement of the year.

"Oh trust me, I do a lot more than just swing this thing around." Suigetsu grins somewhat menacingly and Sasuke gives him a dirty look. "I mean, I'm trained with this thing! I'll go get some wood." And with that, he bounds off.

Sasuke shakes his head. "Would you mind checking the sheep dogs?" Zeko looks at Sasuke. "Give them their biscuits." He hands Sasuke a bag.

The Uchiha nods. "Yeah. Sure." He takes the biscuits and heads off.

Naruto would probably laugh his ass off, if he ever found out. Though Sasuke didn't care at the moment. It was something to do.

He spent the rest of the afternoon feeding the dogs and some cats. He had stumbled on a stray cat and her kittens. Obviously, he couldn't feed them the biscuits, so he just opens up his lunchbox.

"This reminds me of the Loser." He rolls his eyes and chuckles at the thought. "Here you go." He hands the mother cat the meat from what was supposed to be his sandwiches.

He could remember the day he was assigned to Team Seven so clearly. His relief and his disappointment. It seemed like it was only yesterday.

 _"Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka's voice rang out._

 _The Academy Instructor was assigning teams. While Sasuke wasn't giddy with excitement like most of his peers, he was hopeful. Maybe, he'd be on the same team as Hinata._

 _There were lots of squeals and gasps as his name was called. Sasuke rolled his eyes. He knew why. The girls were hoping to be on his team._

 _Not that it mattered. They weren't attached and they weren't Hinata. Therefore, they currently meant nothing to him. He didn't hate them, but he didn't like them either. At best, he tolerated them._

 _"Sakura Haruno." Damn it!_

 _That meant that Hinata wouldn't be on his team. Only one girl got assigned to each squad, unless you counted the instructor. And even then, odds are it was going to be another guy._

 _He wasn't sure whether to be crushed or relieved. This meant that he wouldn't see her at the Academy everyday and she wouldn't be on his team. His contact with Hinata would be minimal to nonexistent._

 _"And Naruto Uzumaki." Wonderful._

 _Maybe, that was for the best though. This way, Itachi would never find out that she was his most precious person. She'd be safer that way._

 _"IRUKA SENSEI, WHY DOES A GREAT NINJA LIKE ME HAVE TO BE ON THE SAME TEAM AS SASUKE?!" Sasuke felt himself twitch as Naruto's annoying voice echoed out._

 _It was bad enough that he couldn't be on Hinata's team, but did he really have to be on Naruto's? "Shut up, Loser." He really should invest in earplugs. Otherwise, he'd probably end up fighting Itachi while he was deaf._

"I was so stupid." He sighs. "Itachi was right." He really was the other man's foolish little brother.

Sasuke had foolishly believed that his beloved older brother would turn into a monster overnight. That he was protecting Hinata and that somehow, she'd return his feelings. After he ignored her for years. God damn, he really was foolish.

* * *

Hinata looks at Itachi in confusion. "There was more to the letter?" Why did she have a bad feeling about this?

Probably because Itachi looked so guilty. Though she wasn't exactly sure why. Obviously, Itachi blamed himself for Sasuke's departure, but she didn't understand why.

It was nothing short of a miracle, but it really did seem like the Uchiha Brothers had largely put the horrors of the past behind them. They had done so and reconciled. They were now brothers in blood and in spirit again, but now…Itachi looked so utterly broken.

"Yes, this isn't your fault, Hinata." Itachi sighs as he caresses her cheek. "You weren't wrong to assume that I was flirting with you. I was and I do care for you a great deal, but there have been some misunderstandings." Misunderstandings?

Well that was one way to put it. Hinata definitely didn't understand what was going on at all. It almost felt like Itachi was breaking up with her, but he said that he cared for her. So why would he end things before they truly began?

She shakes her head and looks at Itachi, determined to get her answers. "What did the letter say?" This time would be different.

This time she wouldn't allow herself to be overlooked or ignored. With Naruto, she had patiently waited in the background for him to notice her. It hadn't worked. Even when she gave her life to protect him, the blonde had still taken forever to give her an answer and damn it, she deserved one!

Of course, she had understood at the time. There had been a war going on. That took priority over someone's love life, but afterwards…there had been no real excuse.

"It's complicated." Itachi sighs and shakes his head. "And I do feel guilty for revealing his secret like this, but I feel that you both deserve to know the truth." He hands her the letter.

Hinata takes it and blinks as she reads it. The Hyuga Heiress didn't know what to say as she covers her mouth in shock. Itachi might _like_ her, but Sasuke **loved** her.

"I d-don't know what to say?" This explained so much.

How could she have missed this?! Hadn't Hinata spent years admiring someone from afar? She should have realized it when someone else was doing it!

Itachi shakes his head and kisses her forehead. "I think that's why he left." The other Uchiha Brother pauses. "He didn't want to make either of us feel awkward. Sasuke didn't want to stand in our way." Itachi smiles ruefully. "He's always been adorably foolish."

Sasuke thought he was doing them a favor by leaving. That's why he left. It was because of her. Because he thought he didn't have a chance and he wanted Hinata to be happy with Itachi.

"We have to find him." She bites her lower lip. "And explain everything!"

Itachi shakes his head. "If we went after him now, he'd think that you were only trying to make him feel better." He look at her warily. "That your kind heart was compelling you to soothe his heartache. It's better to let him have some time alone for now."

Hinata didn't like it. Her instincts were screaming at her to go after Sasuke and to tell him, well _something_!

"M-Maybe you're right." She felt like she might faint. "I don't feel right about this." It all made sense now.

That was why Sasuke asked her how she was everyday. That's why he was engaging in small talk. That's why he hadn't protested the sponge baths! He loved her!

Itachi shakes his head and pulls her into the bed with him. "If you're going to faint, it'd be best to do so in my arms." He runs his fingers through her hair. "I know that you're confused now, but you don't have to worry about that. We've got time to figure this out."

Hinata sighs and nods. "I never thought that he'd see me that way." It hadn't even occurred to her. Now, she didn't know what to do.

It was one thing to act on Itachi's attraction to her, but now she had two brothers who had feelings for her. Hinata had always wanted someone to notice her, but she didn't think _two_ people were going to.

"My foolish little brother is like a volcano." Itachi laughs quietly. "He's either an explosion of emotions or his emotions are building just underneath the surface and one never knows that, until it's too late."

The bluenette could only nod in agreement. She was torn between guilty and another emotion. An emotion that she shouldn't be feeling. Curiosity.

"You're right." She sighs.

Curiosity. They both had some feelings for her. Sasuke apparently had cared for her for a long time and Itachi's were more recent, but that didn't make them less genuine. She had known Sasuke longer. It wouldn't be fair to compare them in that way.

Those sponge baths were making a deviant out of her. Hinata was well aware that Itachi and Sasuke were both very attractive men and she wasn't so innocent that she didn't know that it was a possibility. It was possible to be intimate with more than two people at once. What would it be like?

"Hinata, are you alright?" Itachi looks at her in concern. "Your face is turning red."

She squeaks and flails. Hinata couldn't think that way! It was wrong! Oh God! Itachi would never look at her the same, if he knew what she had been thinking about. Sasuke would never look at her the same way and her father, would ground her for the rest of her life!

"I'm j-just worried about him." Hinata reassures Itachi.

That was certainly true, but it wasn't the full truth. Hinata Hyuga had a problem. She was attracted to two men. Not just any two men, but the Uchiha Brothers!

* * *

Back on the farm, Sasuke smiles as he finishes feeding the cats. Though his smile soon fades when he notices Jugo approaching him. This might not end well.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" Damn it.

Jugo was by far the most perceptive member of Taka. Which was ironic given that in some ways, the man was the very definition of innocent. Most of the time.

When Jugo was in control of himself, he was the very definition of a gentle giant. For goodness sake, he frolicked with birds and other cute woodland creatures! When he wasn't in control of himself, well he was a homicidal maniac.

"I'm fine." Sasuke looks at him.

Hopefully, he would believe him. Jugo was a very trusting person. He tended to take things at face value. Sasuke might get lucky.

Unfortunately, today was not his day. "You know, Suigetsu says when a woman says that, she's lying." Uh huh. "You're not a woman, but I don't believe that you're fine."

Great. How could he possibly explain this to anyone? Then again, this was Jugo. If there was anyone he could confide in and not worry that he'd spill his secret, it was probably him.

"It's a long story." Sasuke shakes his head. "I've done a lot of bad things. I needed a fresh start."

Jugo nods in understand and for a second, the youngest Uchiha thought that might be that. That the worst thing he'd have to worry about today would be the stray cats scratching him, but well he had never been that lucky. So why he had thought that might be the case for even a moment, he didn't know.

The other man shakes his head though. "I don't doubt that, but I know there's something else bothering you." Jugo pauses and adds. "Otherwise you wouldn't have made us stop to make camp so early when you knew this village was here."

Sasuke shrugs. Well it was worth a shot. "Perhaps, I was just tired of listening to Karin's and Suigetsu's bickering." That was a believable excuse.

Jugo couldn't argue with that logic. No one could. Could they? No way. That was pretty self-explanatory.

"Who is she?" Jugo smiles pleasantly.

Sasuke face faults straight into the ground. "What makes you think there is a she involved?!" Damn it! This just wasn't right!

Jugo was supposed to be his Shield. Not his counselor! This was not the natural order of things!

"Well I presume it's a woman because you want to restore your Clan one day." He tilts his head as if considering it. "Was I wrong? I don't mind, if you prefer men."

Sasuke twitches. "I DON'T LIKE MEN!" His shouts scare away the feline family.

He sighs and shakes his head. Wonderful. Now, he was scaring away the cats. Sasuke supposed that it was time to face the facts. If he couldn't even talk about his feelings for Hinata, how was he ever going to return to the Leaf?

"If you say so, Sasuke." Jugo nods.

This might be healthy. "Fine. You probably wouldn't know her." Which made this safer. "Her name is Hinata." He wasn't going to give a last name.

Jugo nods encouragingly. Damn it. It was going to be a very long day, Sasuke muses to himself as he continues his sad tale. His tale of unrequited love.

* * *

Back in the Leaf, Kakashi shakes his head as Tsunade joins him in his office. The woman could be Hokage again, if she wanted. The silver haired man had never sought out this position, but she was being stubborn.

"Kakashi, are you aware that Sasuke has left the village?" She looks at him. "Again?!" Yes, he was aware of that.

The CopyCat Ninja might not want to be Hoakge, but that didn't mean he was bad at his job. Keeping an eye on Sasuke was an essential part of being Hokage. The last thing anyone needed was for him to have a relapse.

"I'm fully aware of that." He shakes his head as if to banish all her doubts. "He's changed, Lady Tsunade. He's not a threat. It matters little where he is at." Kakashi was sure of it.

His former student seemed so sincere about his quest for redemption. In time, the silver haired man had every confidence that Sasuke would find what he was looking for. Mostly in the form of a pretty little Hyuga Heiress when his stubborn student got his ass back to the Leaf!

Tsunade's eyebrow raises ever higher. "I doubt he would attack for no reason, but this going to cause a lot of tongues to start wagging." Well that was true.

Kakashi chuckles. "And when he gets back, I suppose his choice in wife will cause those very same tongues to fall off." Wait. He probably shouldn't have said that!

That certainly got the former Hokage's attention. Not that Kakashi could blame her. He shouldn't have let that little gem slip.

"Do I even want to know?" Tsunade sighs heavily.

Kakashi smiles nervously. "Well you're going to find out one way or another." That was true. "Hinata. Yes, I didn't see it coming either at first, but I've thought the matter overt." He nods somberly. "And the match makes perfect sense in a strange way."

 _THUD!_ The busty woman's reaction was well unexpected. Tsuade actually fell onto her charming backside. Rather harshly.

That looked painful. "You can't possibly be serious!" Ouch. That fall was likely going to leave a bruise.

"I'm serious. Hinata came to me and informed me of Sasuke's departure." The silver haired ninja shakes his head. "She looked on the verge of tears. The feelings are there." He smiles at her again. "They merely need to act on it. I give it two years before their married with their first child."

Tsunade blinks and looks at Kakashi as if he had grown another head. "You've lost your mind." She shakes her own head. "I know that Hinata forged a friendship with him, but that's a far cry from becoming his wife!"

Kakashi takes out his book and flips to the most recent passage. "That's true." He smiles as he rereads it for what seemed like the thousandth time. "But it's a good start. Tell me Lady Tsunade, would you like to get in on the betting pool?" He smirks deviously. "I can give you good odds!"After all, there was a reason why Tsuande was called the Legendary Sucker. This should be an easy bet for Kakashi to win!


	11. Chapter 11

Sasuke's Secret

 **Important Author's Note:** This is a revision of the previous chapter 11. I feel as though there are a hundred ways this story and there is a significant split amongst readers between those who favor fluff and those who favor angst. While I was happy with the original chapter, this version may be better for the plot overall. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this revision.

 **Chapter Notation:** I don't believe Sasuke's and Itachi's grandparents were ever mentioned by name or if they were, I never saw it. So Kenji is my OC. He's been well received in some of my other stories. So I brought him back for a cameo for Sasuke's flashback.

Chapter 11 Revised

 _A month._ It had been a month since Sasuke had disappeared. To Hinata, it had felt like the longest four weeks of her life. Every single time that she looked at Itachi, the Hyuga Heiress knew something was wrong. She was reminded that Sasuke's decision to leave had not been an impulsive one.

"How are you feeling today, Itachi?" Hinata takes out her clipboard to make notes.

At the very least, Sasuke had thought enough about it to leave that letter for his brother. The letter that both she and Itachi had read. And the one that Itachi had burned immediately afterwards in an effort to protect Sasuke's secret.

Itachi smiles at her. "I grow stronger, everyday." The smile was forced though.

That would be a very Itach thing to do. To burn the letter before anyone else could read it. To protect Sasuke's pride. The younger Uchiha would have been utterly humiliated if anyone else had read that letter.

Ever the protective older brother, Itachi had done everything that he could for Sasuke. Though it was obvious that he still felt guilty. The pain in his eyes and that forced smile of his spoke volumes, even Sai's smiles were more sincere than the one Itachi was wearing now.

"I know you are." The bluenette nods at him in acknowledgement. "But I believe that you're perceptive to know that I wasn't just referring to your physical state." Her stutter was gradually decreasing.

The bluenette supposed that it had something to do with the feeling of guilt that had settled deep inside her stomach. It had settled and refused to leave. She felt guilty for not noticing Sasuke's feelings sooner.

The fact that Itachi's smile was so pained wasn't helping matters. "Well, it was worth a try." Itachi Uchiha wasn't someone who was prone to fits of melancholy without reason.

This man had been through almost every sort of pain imaginable and yet, he looked so _broken_ at the moment. Tragically beautiful in a way that made her heart ache. She wanted to hug him. To offer some sort of comfort of comfort, but she refrained.

Itachi had grown far more skittish about touching her. The last time that he had really touched her had been on the day he told her the truth. The day when he held her and comforted her.

"Yes, it was." Hinata looks at him. "Itachi, what are we going to do about this?" She had to know!

This current situation was unbearable. Hinata didn't have any idea what the right thing to do was anymore. No matter what she did, she was going to hurt both of them.

He leans over and caresses her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Hinata." Itachi shakes his head and looks at her with apologetic eyes. "None of this is fair to you." Those beautiful eyes of his were so full of guilt that she almost couldn't bare to look at them.

The Hyuga woman couldn't look away though. At the very least, she had to acknowledge their feelings. She had do _something_ , but she didn't know what.

If she chose one brother over the other, that would create a rift between them. If she chose neither, she'd be hurting both of them. Though it would be fairer and less likely to ruin their relationship.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." She dares herself to whisper.

She was being selfish and Hinata knew it, but that second thought was just so painful. Did she love either of them? Hinata didn't know, but there was a chance she could. Did she really want to give that up?

The medic didn't know. She was certainly attracted to both of them. A woman would have to be blind not to be. They were both strong, kind in their own unique ways, brave, and loyal. That was a hard combination to resist.

He shakes his head. "I have many things to be sorry about." Itachi smiles at her. Though this time it was less forced. "And we both know that, but I do appreciate your pretending otherwise." He had such a beautiful smile. "It's kind of you."

The two brothers couldn't be more different and yet, they couldn't be more alike. Itachi kissed her with such passion it took her breath away and Sasuke loved her so much that he was willing to put her happiness above his own. How could any woman possibly choose between the two?

Sasuke's feelings were obviously stronger, but it wasn't entirely fair to compare the two based on that. Itachi hadn't known her nearly as long. Maybe, his would have been just as strong…had circumstances been different.

"I don't feel kind." Hinata sighs as she looks outside the window. "I feel like a horrible person." Horrible for so many reasons.

A storm was raging both within her heart and outside. _CLAP! CRACK! BOOM!_ The sound of thunder and lightning could be heard throughout the village. It seemed that even nature wanted to cry along with her.

"You aren't a horrible person." He shakes his head. "Like Sasuke, you were never given all the facts." Itachi was apparently feeling far more charitable than she was at the moment.

He didn't know the direction of her thoughts. That was why. If Itachi knew that she was comparing them in such a way, he'd probably turn away from her in disgust.

"I should have noticed." Hinata sighs. "I should have noticed his feelings for me." After all, she had watched Naruto from afar. She should have noticed, when someone was doing the same to her.

Itachi kisses her forehead. "It's truly not your fault. I'm the one who was in the wrong." It wasn't a kiss meant to instill passion, but one to give comfort.

Sadly, it was that comfort that she desperately needed right now. It was only a kiss to the forehead. Surely, indulging in that wasn't any worse than what Hinata had already done.

The bluenette had been unintentionally cruel to Sasuke. She had driven him away and now, there was a rift between the two brothers. A rift that the Hyuga woman desperately wanted to fix, but she didn't know how to.

"What do you mean by that?" She leans into his gentle caress. "Why wasn't it supposed to be you? Why are you acting as if having feelings for me is some sort of crime?" She looks at him, feeling unshed tears burn in her eyes.

Hinata refused to shed them. She was a ninja and a Hyuga at that! The young woman had her pride. She wasn't going to cry in front of the first man who had given her, her first kiss.

Her first wonderful kiss. The kiss that had made her feel as though she was flying. Itachi had kissed her with such passion and now, those dark orbs of his were shimmering with equal parts regret and adoration.

"We both know why." Itachi sighs as he rubs the palm of his hand along her cheek more. "At least, not at first." In a gentle caress. "It was Sasuke. He was the one who loved you first. "

She bites her lower lip, unsure of what to say. "He loved me first and at the very least, Sasuke deserves an answer." What answer she would give him, Hinata didn't know. "And after that, I don't know what I'll do or not do."

Love didn't care about things like chronological order. Maybe, she would be happiest with Sasuke. Maybe, she would be happiest with Itachi. Maybe, she should do the "right thing" and not be with either of them. There were so many maybes that it was making her head spin.

"As I said, this isn't fair to you." Itachi sighs as he looks out the window as well. "It's fitting in a way. Thunder and lightning." He smiles ruefully. "Sasuke favors the Chidori, a lightning attack."

Hinata nods in agreement as she leans against him. "It is very fitting." The bluenette lowers her eyes, trying to prevent the unshed tears from flower. "You're right about that."

* * *

It might have been storming in the Leaf Village, but it wasn't at the farm. Quite the opposite really. It was an extremely July day in the small village that Taka had found itself in. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the Summer Sun was feeling particularly unforgiving on this day, it seemed.

 _Working in the hot Sun was not fun,_ Sasuke thinks to himself. He had been on the farm for a month along with the other members of Taka. While tending to the fields and livestock was not the most glamorous work in the world, Sasuke was grateful for the distraction it provided.

"It's so damn hot!" Suigetsu gulps down another canteen of water.

The work was easily understood, time consuming, and very, very physical. For the most part, it kept him distracted. And really, that's what Sasuke needed most.

Karin rolls her eyes as she comes out of the henhouse covered in eggs. "Quit whining or you can deal with the damn chickens!" She glares at Suigetsu.

The red head had been put in charge of minding the chickens. It was a task that she loathed, but she was getting better at it. She used to come out of that henhouse every day covered in eggs. Now, it was more like once or twice a week.

"Guys, we have to hurry!" Jugo runs over to them. "The mare went into labor."

Not surprisingly, the gentle giant had taken to the horses and well, so had Sasuke to a degree. There was a pregnant mare on the farm and the youngest Uchiha was sure that was part of the reason why Zeko had wanted them to stay on longer than planned. He wanted farmhands around for when she did.

Sasuke nods and darts off after Jugo. "Coming!" With Karin and Suigetsu following behind him. (Though the sword lover was tagging along, very reluctantly).

 **Warning Pony Scene**

"That is so gross!" Suigetsu looks like he was going to be sick.

Sasuke almost laughs at the sight. Who knew that the Prodigy in the Art of Murder was so squeamish. "It's alright, girl." He smiles and pets her long nose encouragingly.

"QUIET, YOU IDIOT!" Karin whacks Suigetsu. "You're scaring the mare!"

Their antics would have been quite funny, if the young woman wasn't right. They _were_ scaring the mare! He feels his Rinnegan and Sharingan spin in warning at the two most boisterous members of Taka. That seemed to do the tick.

"Easy, easy!" Jugo pets her soothingly.

Thankfully, the gentle giant seemed to know exactly what he was doing. It was also a relief to see that horses appeared to have a far easier time giving birth than humans. That didn't change the fact that the sight was utterly bizarre though.

The mother quickly cleans her newborn and nudges it to its feet a few minutes later. Scarcely an hour later, the foal was making rather uncoordinated attempts to walk with its mother. It was a rather endearing sight.

 **End of Pony Scene**

"Huh, what do you know?" Suigetsu snickers as he watches the horse with her newborn. "Only an hour old and its already cuter and more graceful than Karin!"

WHACK! "What's that supposed to mean?!" Karin glares at him, after smacking Suigetsu upside the head.

It was times like these that Sasuke truly wondered if Suigetsu was a masochist. He certainly acted like it. Oh well. That really wasn't any of his business.

"Whatever. I'm going to tell Zeko that he mare delivered the foal." Sasuke shakes his head as he heads towards the farmhouse.

* * *

Back at the hospital, Itachi sighs. This wasn't what he had wanted to happen. Sasuke should have been enjoying his release from the hospital with Hinata right about now. Not this.

"You don't have to make a decision now." Itachi rests his head on top of hers. "You need time to think and he needs time to heal." That was the truth. "When I am better though, we can go and look for him."

Hinata blinks at that and turns her head at him incredulously. "You mean it?" He nods. Itachi shouldn't be promising this, but he would.

The bluenette was obviously struggling with guilt and so was he. He hadn't wanted to admit this to himself, but somewhere along the way his feelings his deepened. Itachi loved her and the Hyuga woman didn't know what she felt.

That was only natural. She hadn't known him at all before he'd been hospitalized and Sasuke had an acquaintance at most. It wouldn't have been reasonable to expect her to fall madly in love with either of them instantly.

"Yes, I mean it." He nods his head in confirmation.

Uchihas were wired a little differently than most people. Itachi idly wondered, if it had something to do with their slightly altered brain chemistry because of the Sharingan. Maybe, it was because of a chemical reaction that they tended to fall fast and hard.

Perhaps, it was nature's way of preserving the bloodline. After all, the sooner someone found their most precious person, the sooner they were likely to have children. It made sense from an evolutionary perspective.

She nods and smiles. "I'd like that." Hinata watches as the thunder and lightning rage outside. "Though I still have no idea what I'm going to say to him."

That made two of them, Itachi decides. He didn't know what he was going to say to his foolish little brother either. His brother who had gone and played the martyr. It was both the kindest and most infuriating thing that anyone had ever done for Itachi and he didn't know what to make of it.

Fortunately or unfortunately though, he was going to be stuck in the hospital for the foreseeable future. Itachi didn't have know what he was going to say to Sasuke yet. It would be awhile before he could say anything.

"Good." Itachi pauses. "And there is a chance that Sasuke might return to us before that becomes an issue." He nods at her encouragingly.

Hinata issues a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a cry. "You don't really think he'd come home early, do you?" No, but it was worth a try.

The elder Uchiha could only shake his head. "No. My foolish little brother has a way of making things far more difficult on himself than they have to be." He smiles because they both knew it was true.

* * *

Sasuke smiles as he heads into the farmhouse. "Zeko, Snowball delivered her foal and they're both fine." Snowball was the name of the mare.

It wasn't the most creative name, but it was certainly accurate. That coat was white as snow. Beautiful, really. Though her foal was a stormy gray color.

"That's wonderful news." He grins as the others soon join them inside the farmhouse. "Well I'm going to be sorry to see you all go." Zeko rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "We've gotten kinda used to having the extra help around."

"Thank you, for welcoming us into your home." Jugo smiles at him.

Zeko nods. "It's bee our pleasure. Now dig in. You can all head off tomorrow." He looks at Sasuke. "Oh and my wife made a tomato salad. Just for you." The farmer smiles at him.

That was kind of her. Sadly though, tomatoes reminded him of Hinata. Well Hinata and his mother. Sasuke was sure that he'd forever associate his favorite food with his family and the woman that he had loved since he was a child, but mostly his family.

 _He was probably around four when he developed his love for tomatoes. "Will Aiya be joining us?" Mikoto smiled at Kenji Uchiha._

 _Kenji was Sasuke's and Itachi's grandfather! Sasuke liked him because he was very silly! Though his father seemed to get annoyed by him sometimes. That was okay though, even at four the young Uchiha knew that his father did love Grandpa Kenji. (In his own way)!_

 _"I'm afraid not." Kenji sighs and shakes his head. "She's busy. It seems Mitszu is sick and Aiya is watching her twins."_

 _Aiya was his grandmother. She was beautiful and the Clan's informal babysitter in situations like that! Oh and father always said that she kept his grandfather on a short leash! (Whatever that meant)._

 _Fugaku nods. "That's kind of her." He smiled at his wife. "Ah tomato soup, my favorite."_

 _Itachi was eating with Sasuke when it happened. "Your father does love his tomatoes." Kenji nodded sagely as he snickered._

 _Uh oh. As soon as Sasuke heard that snicker he made sure to swallow his soup quickly. He sorta knew what was coming. His grandfather was going to say something really funny soon and he didn't want to choke on his soup!_

 _Fugaku nodded as if that was a grand pronouncement. "That's right." He smiled at his wife. "Mikoto does grow the best tomatoes."_

 _"Yes, the only thing that he loves more than your mother's tomatoes are her melons." Kenji nodded somberly and Itachi chokes on his soup laughing._

 _Sasuke blinked. He didn't get it. "Mother doesn't have any melons though?" He had never seen any watermelons in his mother's garden. She had almost everything else though!_

 _Fugaku glared at Kenji and his mother blushed. Sasuke couldn't help, but feel as though he had missed something. Something important._

 _"Yes, she does." Kenji chuckled. "They are_ _ **very**_ _nice melons as well."_

 _This drew a glare even from his normally very sweet mother. She swatted her Father-In-Law behind the head. "Honestly!" The Uchiha Matriarch gave him another dirty look. "You're setting a horrible example for the children!"_

 _Sasuke could only look at Itachi in confusion. Maybe, he knew what was going on. Sasuke really didn't get why his mother and father were so upset about his grandfather talking about melons._

 _"Itachi, what melons is grandfather talking about?" And upon hearing his question, Itachi just choked on his soup more._

Sasuke chuckles at the memory. It hadn't made any sense back then, but it did now. It was nice to know at the very least he and his father had something in common. They both loved tomatoes and were breast ninjas.

"Something funny?" Zeko looks up at him in confusion as everyone was gathering around the table for dinner.

Sasuke shakes his head. "No. Not really." After all, it wasn't as though he could explain what he had been thinking about to the kindly farmer!

* * *

"Kakashi, you can't be serious about this bet." Tsunade shakes her head at the Hokage's antics. "Sasuke's already been gone for a month!"

The busty blonde was now at a complete loss for how the silver haired man expected to win this bet when the youngest Uchiha wasn't even in the village! It was complete and utter madness!

Kakashi smiles cheerfully. "Oh he'll come back or someone will drag him back kicking and screaming." Then again, that shouldn't have surprised her. "Probably by Naruto." It was a rare day when the CopyCat Ninja wasn't smiling in that serene way of his! (Truthfully, it was equal parts infuriating and endearing, but Tsuande digressed).

Tsunade winces at that. "Does Naruto know that Sasuke left?" If he did, that wouldn't end well.

If that was the case, there was likely going to be a massive loss of life, limb, and property soon. Because whenever those two idiots disagreed on something, that was usually the way of things. In far too many ways, Team Seven reminded her of what she and the other Sannin used to be. It was disturbing really. History seemed to be repeating itself.

Guy's grin started the woman out of her internal musings. "Don't worry, Lady Tsunade." How could it not? His teeth were so white, that they were almost blinding. "The Power of Youth will get this all sorted out!" He smiles at Kakashi. "I give it three years until the baby arrives though!"

Kakashi nods as he writes down Guy's bet. "Alright. So that's three years until their first child is born." The silver haired man pauses and looks at Guy. "And how long do you suspect it will be until they get together?" This was utterly ridiculous!

Honestly! One could easily be forgiven, if they thought that Kakashi was the same age as his students with the way he was carrying on! He was hardly acting like a proper Hokage!

Not that she could judge him too harshly. Tsunade had never been much of a traditional Hokage herself. Still, she had never bet on the love lives of her villagers! This was absurd!

Of course, she had speculated! Tsuande was only human! "You're both crazy!" Who didn't? It was always a hot topic of conversation around the Leaf. Despite that, this was still the height of lunacy!

"Are you sure that you don't want to get in on this?" Kakashi looks at her hopefully.

No! Tsunade most certainly did not! Besides, she always lost her bets! On the other hand, the outcome of this wager was rather obvious. Maybe, it wouldn't hurt to place one tiny, little bet…

"Well if you're that eager to part with your money, then who am I to stand in your way?" There was no harm in stating the obvious. Was there? "I win, if they aren't together within the next three years." She pauses for dramatic effect. "Because everyone knows that Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga are never going to get married!"

* * *

Elsewhere in the Leaf Village, Sakura was training with Naruto. Mostly though, she was just trying to keep the blonde from doing something reckless. Something reckless like going after Sasuke.

"I still don't get why he would just leave like that!" Naruto flails.

Sakura didn't either. It made no sense. Still, it was up to her to distract their lovable teammate and that's exactly what she was going to do.

"You really should focus more on our fight or I will knock you on your ass!" She smirked as she threw a powerful punch into the ground.

A crater formed. While she might never achieve the level of power that Naruto and Sasuke had, Sakura was still formidable in her own right now and it was all thanks to Lady Tsunade.

"AHHH!" Naruto jumps back, narrowly avoiding falling into the hole in the ground. "Jeez, Sakura!" He gives her a dirty look. "This is just training!"

She shakes her head. "It's just training now, but you know what it's like out in the real world." They were all very lucky to be alive after everything that they had been through. "So you should take it seriously. Don't underestimate me just because I'm not Sasuke!"

There had been times when she had actually been jealous of the bond that existed between those two. Sasuke never trained with her, but Sakura had mostly put that in the past now. It looked like Sasuke was trying to put the past in the past as well.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Naruto grumbles. "I know. Do you think he'll be back soon?"

Sakura pauses as she considered that question. She honestly didn't know. Sasuke had a habit of disappearing for years, but Itachi was still in the Leaf. If nothing else, the younger Uchiha would surely return for his brother's sake.

"I don't know." That answer scared her a bit. "But I'm sure he'll come back. He always does."

The pink haired woman could hope that would be the case. God help them all, if Naruto had to chase after Sasuke _again_! Because that would be when all Hell would break loose!


	12. Chapter 12

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. For those of you who hadn't noticed, I went back and revised Chapter 11. Mostly, the Itachi and Hinata parts. I would recommend going back and reading the new version, if you haven't already. If you choose not to do so, I don't think you should be **too** lost though. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Story Notation:** Still not sure which direction, I'll ultimately take as far as Sasuke's return goes. I haven't decided, if I want someone to drag him back or if he'll wander back in on his own.

Chapter 12

 _Crack!_ One swift kick was all it took to send the other man flying back into the wall. "You're lucky that it was Sasuke and not me!" Suigetsu grins. "He never lets me have any fun!"

Sasuke rolls his eyes at the other member of Taka. This wasn't a ninja they were dealing with. No. This was a common low-level thug. Not that being a common thug and being a ninja were completely exclusive, but that wasn't the point!

"OWE!" The man winces and coughs up a bit of blood.

The point was this man had been trying to rob a young family and he had a knife on him! He hadn't gotten very far when Jugo's birds had picked up the sounds of screaming. And from there, well it hadn't taken Sasuke very long to deal with the issue.

"Suigetsu, will you stop trying to act cool and just give the family back their money?" Karin pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

The sword lover grumbles and grabs the father's wallet from the thief's pocket. "Whose acting?" And with that, Suigetsu smirks as he walks over and hands the man his wallet. "I don't need to act cool!" The smirk continues to grow as the white haired ninja's sharp teeth are displayed more prominently. "I _am_ a total badass!"

Sasuke snorts at that and shakes his head, looking at the family. "Are you okay?" The mother, father, and young child all nod their heads rather quickly as if they were in a daze.

They probably were, the youngest Uchiha thinks to himself. They had traveled far and wide in the past few months. Currently, they were in the Land of Iron. The home of the Samurai.

It was unlikely that the small family had encountered many ninjas before, especially not ninjas as famous as them. Sasuke knew that it was likely he still had quite a reputation around these parts. After all, this was the land where the Kage Summit had been held.

The Summit which he had attacked. "Good. Be careful." A move that he had come to regret.

That was one of the things that would be difficult to live down. He felt particularly guilty about Gaara. The red head had actually cried for him.

Of course, this was Gaara. "We should get going, it's going to be night soon." It hadn't been sobbing, but silent tears. "Winter comes early around these parts." Dignified tears.

It had been Jugo who had spoken the warning about winter though. Not that that was surprising. The man was by far the most sensible member of Taka. Sadly, Sasuke would admit as much, even when including himself in the description.

"You're right." Sasuke nods in agreement.

The Land of Iron might not be as cold as the Land of Snow, but it could get bitterly cold. This was particularly so during winter. Jugo's advice should be heeded.

"We got a room booked at the Inn, right?" Suigetsu looks at the youngest Uchiha.

Sasuke nods in confirmation and turns to head off. He knew that his teammates would follow him. Jugo because Jugo was Jugo. He was absolutely loyal. Karin because while she had gotten over her ridiculous romantic infatuation for him, she still looked up to him in her own strange way. And finally, Suigetsu would because he had nothing better to do.

A few minutes later, they arrive at the Inn and Sasuke greets the receptionist. "Reservations under the name Uchiha." It was important to use his last name.

The more people heard it and didn't associate it with violence, the better. It was a slow process, but Sasuke was trying his best to redeem himself in the public's eyes. He would probably never forgive himself for everything that he had done, but maybe Sasuke could make some headway into restoring his Clan's good name.

"Y-Yes, Sir!" The terrified inn worker hands him three keys.

Sasuke smiles at her. "Thank you." That was obviously going to take awhile.

The woman was clearly scared of him. Unfortunately, Sasuke couldn't blame her. He had earned that terror and it would likely take years before people spoke his name without stuttering in terror.

Sasuke sighs at that thought and heads to the room he would share with Jugo. In general, Taka had very specific sleeping arrangements. When they could afford it, Karin and Suigetsu would get their own rooms and he'd share with Jugo.

"So how long are we going to stay away from the Leaf?" Jugo looks at Sasuke as he shuts the door behind them. "We've already been gone four months."

The gentle giant was still insistent that he was Sasuke's shield. So perhaps, it wasn't surprising that he wanted to share a room in order to "protect" him better. That and Sasuke didn't mind.

Jugo was quiet and he was company. The youngest Uchiha was tired of being alone anyway. Granted, he would have much preferred to be snuggling up to Hinata, rather than respectfully sleeping across the room from Jugo of the Scales, but it was better than the alternative.

"I'm not sure." Sasuke shrugs as he takes off his sandals and slides into his bed. "Could be awhile or a few days." Most likely awhile though.

Things were different now. Sasuke's pain wasn't as sharp. It no longer felt like his heart had been shattered into a million pieces. It was more of a constant longing. A sadness for what he couldn't have.

Jugo nods in understanding. "Alright." He pauses and adds as an afterthought. "If we stay away too long though, they'll probably send someone after us." That was a good point, but not one that was going to sway Sasuke's decision.

Days weren't so bad now. Sasuke could usually keep busy enough that his mind didn't drift back to her too much. Nights were the worst though.

If Sasuke was lucky enough to have a pillow, he was reminded of her even more. Of her softness. The comfort her touch provided.

"Probably." He shrugs. "We aren't doing anything wrong though."

Well other than the fact that Sasuke was running from his problems. It was just he couldn't do it yet. He couldn't face them.

Itachi hadn't meant to steal Hinata. Sasuke knew that, but his mind couldn't stop wondering. What if he had made his intentions known sooner. Would she still have chosen Itachi?

Maybe, it was better that he didn't know. "That's true." That way, he wouldn't have deal with an official rejection. "Though you know what Naruto is like." Jugo chuckles.

As long as she didn't actually say the words, Sasuke could still indulge in his fantasy. The fantasy that she would have said yes, had he just said something sooner. If she said the words though, well that would make it worse in some ways.

"Oh believe me, I know what that Loser is like." Sasuke rolls his eyes as he reaches over and turns off the light. "Obsessive. That's what he's like." And truer words were never spoken.

God bless that lovable idiot. Naruto was loyal to the point of absolute stupidity. He'd do anything for his friends, but this was one situation where the blonde couldn't help Sasuke.

One couldn't force someone to love them. "Goodnight, Jugo." He sighs as he settles in for the night.

"Goodnight, Sasuke." Jugo smiles. "Sleep well."

Sasuke knew that he would and wouldn't sleep well at the same time. On the bright side, he would dream of her. Likely, the last Uchiha would have wonderful dreams of Hinata. On the not so bright side, he knew that he'd wake up alone.

Well more accurately, he would wake up to an empty bed. Sasuke held nothing, but respect for the quietest member of Taka, but he wasn't her. Jugo wasn't Hinata. No one was.

* * *

He hadn't been lying when he told her that he was getting stronger. The truth of the matter was that Itachi Uchiha was getting strong. While he was far from at his best, Itachi could now more or less come and go as he pleased.

"That's much better, Itachi!" One of the nurses giggles. "Ready for your sponge bath?"

The medical staff of the hospital was now used to him as well. Apparently, the female medics in particular had decided he was _safe_ again. Itachi didn't know whether to be amused, embarrassed, or smug at the attention.

Hinata didn't suffer from this indecision though. "Itachi is perfectly capable of bathing himself now!" Her jealousy was rather flattering.

The woman's stutter was decreasing. Itachi in some ways, almost mourned it's "loss." He'd always found it rather endearing, but it was a good thing.

Hinata was now fully blossoming. She was still kind and quiet, but she was growing into her new role. Her role as the next leader of the Hyuga Clan. Clan Matriarchs couldn't be shy little wallflowers who were afraid of offending people.

Well he supposed that they could, but in it wasn't advisable. Itachi was aware that Hinata had a sister though. Her name was Hanabi. If Hinata were to marry outside her Clan, Hanabi would become the next Heiress.

"Well just to be on the safe side!" Another medic protests.

Itachi didn't know why he allowed himself to indulge in such thoughts. He was only torturing himself. At the moment, he and Hinata were firmly in the friend category.

It was obvious that they were attracted to each other, but they hadn't really acted much on that. Not since the kiss. Though those beautiful lavender eyes couldn't hide the truth from him, no mater how proper Hinata was attempting to act around him.

Hinata sighs and looks at him apologetically, before heading off to deal with the naughty medics. "I'll be right back." She still wanted him and the feeling was very much mutual.

It would have been a bad idea to act on these desires though. The Hyuga woman was attracted to him physically and Itachi knew that she cared for him as a person, but the same could be said of Sasuke. So for the moment, they were both frozen.

Neither knowing exactly where they stood with each other, but both clearly at least wistful about the possibility of more. Until Sasuke got back or he was found, the two of them had no idea what to do or not do. It was utterly maddening to put it mildly.

Perhaps five minutes later, Hinata returns and Itachi chuckles. "Did you successfully protect my virtue from those lustful nurses?" It was probably wrong, but he couldn't fully resist the impulse.

The impulse to tease her. Hinata's stutter may have been gradually disappearing, but that blush remained the same. That adorable blush.

"I believe so." Hinata blushes and crosses her arms. "They're impossible." She sighs and shakes her head in disbelief. "You would think that they'd be more professional as medics."

It was difficult not to laugh. "Well as I recall, you seem to greatly enjoy giving me sponge baths as well." So he didn't. "So can you entirely blame them?"

Hinata squeaks and sputters in response. Itachi could only shake his head in amusement. Sasuke really did have _such_ exceptional taste!

* * *

Naruto makes his way to Kakashi's Office. The blonde had had just about it up to here with this. Sasuke had been gone for four months! This was ridiculous.

"Naruto, if you're asking me to sanction you going on a mission to find him again, the answer is still no." Kakashi chuckles as he flips another page in his book.

Naruto twitches. How could Kakashi Sensei be so calm about all of this?! Wasn't he worried about the Bastard at all? Didn't he realize how much trouble Sasuke's bastardlyness could get him into?!

"Kakashi Sensei, it's been four months!" And no, the blonde didn't care that bastardlyness wasn't a real word. "Come on!" It was the principle of the thing!

The silver haired ninja wasn't budging though. "He occasionally sends me letters to inform me that he's alright." He what?! "Sasuke is fine, Naruto." The CopyCat Ninja smiles at him reassuringly. "He's taking some time to process things. Perhaps, you should follow his example in this regard."

Naruto sputters and flails. Taking some time and processing things?! It had been months! How much time did the bastard really need?!

"I don't get what he's so upset about!" Sasuke had been pardoned and so had Itachi. "I mean, we're going to tell everyone the truth once Itachi is better!" It wasn't entirely Sasuke's fault that he had done all that bad stuff.

People would see that once, they knew the truth. Naruto just knew it! So Sasuke shouldn't feel guilty.

Kakashi shakes his head with something that looked to Naruto far too much like pity. "It's quite the long story, Naruto." And well, the blonde didn't care for that at all!

Why was Kakashi looking at him that way?! Something really weird was going on and he was going to get to the bottom of this! Maybe, he should talk to Sakura about everything.

The sapphire eyed ninja knew his Sensei well enough to realize that getting answers out of Kakashi was going to prove difficult. Hell, it might even prove impossible. So Sakura was his best bet.

"Well whenever you wanna fess up, let me know." Naruto sighs. "I'm gonna go get some Ramen."

"Good idea." Kakashi nods at him in approval. "After all, it's difficult to train on an empty stomach."

Naruto felt a bit bad for lying to Kakashi, but he consoled himself with the fact it wasn't really a lie. He was going to get Ramen! Eventually!

He nods his head in acknowledgement. "Yeah. You're right. " And with that, he heads off.

* * *

The next day, Sasuke wakes up and stretches. It was time to make a decision of sorts. Well at the very least, he needed to decide what they were going to do today.

"Jugo, can you tell the idiots that I'll meet them for breakfast after I take a shower?" Sasuke glances at the gentle giant.

As always, Jugo nods. "Yeah! Though why do you call them idiots?" Wait. That wasn't self-explanatory?

Sasuke merely shakes his head as he heads to the bathroom. "Because they are." He calls out before shutting the door and robbing.

He turns the shower on and gets in. It didn't take long for his thoughts to take a rather inappropriate turn. Ever since those sponge baths, water had always reminded Sasuke of Hinata.

 **Warning Sasuke's Fantasy**

 _Soft hands slowly dragged a sponge over his skin. His bare skin. The only thing separating them was the sponge, the water, and of course, the fact that his brother was sitting only a few feet away._

 _"How's that feel?" Hinata smiles at him sweetly._

 _Wonderful and horrible at the same time. An exquisite torture. It was an exquisite torture to have her hands on him and not be able to do anything about it._

 _Instead of saying that though, he nods. "Much better." What else could he say?_

 _It wasn't as though he could confess with Itachi sitting right there. That's when he notices something strange. "Just better?" Hinata laughs softly into his ear." The bluenette's hands were drifting further south than they ever had before._

 _"Don't look so shocked, Sasuke." Itachi chuckles and shakes his head in amusement. "This was bound to happen sooner or later."_

 _Hinata laughs at that and kisses Sasuke, before joining them in the water. "Just relax, it's okay." She smiles and kisses him._

 _Sasuke blinks and returns the kiss. He was too stunned to do anything else as Itachi started sliding Hinata's now soaking wet clothes off her. "I love you." What else could he say?_

 _"I love you too." Hinata smiles as she returns his kisses and leans back into Itachi's touches._

 **End of Sasuke's Fantasy**

There was something seriously wrong with him, Sasuke decides as he turns off the water a few minutes later and dresses. "That's not normal." It was definitely not normalize to fantasize about the woman he loved in such a way while someone else was with them in said fantasy!

"Whatever." He sighs as he heads to breakfast. "So we're heading to the Sand next." Sasuke decrees as he sits down and joins the rest of Taka.

Suigetsu whines. "The Sand!" Predictably, of course. "That's way too hot and it's so far away!"

That was true. That's why Sasuke had chosen it really. By the time they got there and traveled to the Leaf Village, weeks would have passed by. Maybe, even months. Besides, Gaara had always been sympathetic towards him.

"If you don't like it, you can always head back to the Leaf now." Sasuke shakes his head.

"YEAH!" Karin agrees enthusiastically!

This was Suigetsu though. Sasuke knew that despite his protests to the contrary, he'd follow them. For one very simple reason, if nothing else.

Suigetsu rolls his eyes. "Fine, I'll go." He shakes his head. "Only because it will annoy the Banshee!" To annoy Karin.

* * *

Hinata sighs as she heads out to join Sakura for some shopping. That and she had a few things that she needed to get off her chest. She hadn't told the medic yet, but the fact of the matter was that the bluenette needed to talk to someone about what was happening.

Well besides, Itachi. "Hinata, what's wrong?" Sakura looks at her in concern.

What was wrong? Well everything. Though she supposed she would have to start at the beginning, if Sakura was going to have any hope of understanding her!

Hinata makes sure to grab some clothes and drag Sakura into the changing stall, before continuing. "Well you know how we thought that Itachi liked me?" It seemed the most private place!

"Yeah?" Sakura blinks. "So did he finally ask you to be his girlfriend or something?"

The bluenette could only shake her head at that. She wished things were that simple. Unfortunately, things were never that easy. Not when you were dealing with the Uchiha Brothers, anyway.

She sighs and braces herself. "Not exactly." Hinata decides it was best just to be blunt. "Itachi does care for me, but originally he wasn't trying to flirt with me."

"Hinata, you're not making any sense." She tilts her head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Should she tell Sakura about Sasuke? Maybe, it would be alright, if she didn't give the other woman his name. That way, she would still be respecting his privacy. Yes, that's exactly what she would do.

"Itachi was trying to show someone else how to do." Hinata pauses as she wasn't sure that made sense. So she clarifies. "How to flirt with me. He does care for me, but someone else liked me before him and probably still does."

Liked was such a mild term. It almost seemed like an insult, but the bluenette felt it was better to be as casual as possible. After all, casual was certainly not a word one would associate with Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura would be less likely to figure out it was him that way. "Oh." Sakura blinks again. "Well do you like either of them?"

That was the thing. She did. Hinata liked both of them, but how was she ever going to choose between the brothers? That and even if she could, would it really be worth it?

Hinata would be risking damaging their relationship beyond repair. They had both been through so much. Didn't they deserve the chance to act towards one another as normal brothers did without her getting in the way of that?

"That's the thing." The Hyuga Heiress sighs and looks at her feet guilty. "I like both of them." She pauses for a moment before continuing her confession. "And I don't know which I like better or if, I should be with either of them. It might ruin their relationship."

Sakura nods in understanding. "Right. That's complicated." _Extremely_ complicated, Hinata thinks to herself. "So who was the other guy?"

Damn it. Should she tell her or not? Hinata honestly didn't know. In the end though, she decides Sasuke's privacy was more important than her friend's curiosity.

"I'd rather not say." She shakes her head. "He doesn't know that I know now."

The other medic blinks and nods again slowly. Thankfully, it didn't look like Sakura was going to press. Which was something of a miracle because Hinata knew that her friend must be dying of curiosity about the whole affair.

Sakura blows a stray strand of hair away from her forehead. "Well I guess you better try to get to know them better to make a decision." A few tense seconds pass by before she continues on. "And decide if it's worth it to potentially break them apart. Love is love, but you should be sure that it is love before you do anything drastic."

Hinata nods in agreement. That was true. It wouldn't be worth it to risk damaging their relationship forever over _like_. It could be love or turn into love, but she had to be sure first.

"You're right." Hinata sighs.

That's when Sakura grins. "And in case you do choose one of them, I really think that it's time we upgrade your wardrobe." Uh oh. Hinata wasn't too sure that she liked the sound of that.

Sakura was a wonderful friend, but she had a tendency of going overboard. This was especially true when it came to clothes. Maybe, Hinata shouldn't have drug her friend shopping with her after all. Suddenly, the shopping trip looked like it was going to be a shopping expedition and that meant that the Hyuga Heiress was in for a very, very long day. What on Earth had she just gotten herself into?


	13. Chapter 13

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 13

Eight weeks. It had been eight weeks since he had agreed to help Hinata retrieve his foolish little brother, if Sasuke hadn't returned by the time of his release. His release from the hospital.

"A promise is a promise." Itachi nods as he checks their provisions.

They were traveling light with everything fitting onto light packs onto their back, but it was still quite a bit. He was rather pleased with own thoroughness.

Let's see here. Ninja rations, check. Money, check. Medical supplies, check. Weapons, check. They also had some clothing and a map in there.

Hinata smiles at him and kisses his cheek. "Are you sure that you're up for this?" It was a legitimate question.

He had only been released from the hospital the day before. Still, Itachi wasn't going to let that deter him. He had made a vow to the Byakugan Princess and he intended to keep it.

"I'm certain." He smiles at her reassuringly. "Besides, I know my foolish little brother better than anyone." If anyone could find him, it would be Itachi. "We'll be able to find him in relatively short order." He would make sure of it.

Hinata returns his smile. "Alright." She was such a brave little thing. "Well at least we should be able to travel without anyone trying capture you."

Itachi nods in agreement. That would have been rather irritating. His name had been rather high profile in the Bingo Book and before his pardon, if anyone had managed to capture or assassinate him…they would have been filthy rich. In a strange way, the eldest Uchiha was rather proud of that.

It was nice to be acknowledged for one's skills, even if you were infamous. Perhaps, that was a bit vain and counterproductive. Itachi had tasted what it was like to be the Clan's Prodigy and it had brought him almost nothing, but pain. And yet, his pride wouldn't allow him to tolerate being ignored.

"Yes, thank goodness for Kakashi." Itachi smiles.

That was most certainly true. It constantly astounded the Itachi how far the silver haired ninja was willing to go in order to protect the Uchiha Clan. Though he suspected it was in large part because of Obito.

Obito had been Kakashi's teammate and Itachi was well aware that the Hokage still blamed himself for what happened to him. Despite the fact that Obito had clearly found peace in the end, the elder Uchiha Brother knew that the CopyCat Ninja still felt tremendous guilt over Obito's fate. And that was likely one of the major reasons why Kakashi had been so accommodating towards him and Sasuke.

Hinata laughs softly and nods. "Well we should be going then." She offers Itachi her hand. "Where should we start looking?"

That was a good question. Thankfully though, Kakashi had told the Leaf Village the truth about the events surrounding the Uchiha Massacre. So they'd be able to travel freely.

Which was very good because knowing his foolish little brother, Sasuke had likely traveled around the Five Nations by this point. Finding him would likely prove difficult. Mercifully, Kakashi's efforts would had made their task at least somewhat easier with his grand announcement though.

 _Itachi watched anxiously through a hospital window with Hinata at his side. The day had finally arrived. The day that the truth would be revealed._

 _"Thank you, all for coming." A familiar head of silver hair is seen on the ground just outside the hospital. "What I am about to tell you is going to shock you, but I swear on my father's grave that every word that I'm about to tell you is the truth."_

 _Well that was one way to get one's audience's attention, Itachi muses to himself. Quite honestly, he didn't know whether to be excited or terrified. After today, there would be no going back._

 _Hinata squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry." Her determination to soothe him, never waving. "Kakashi knows what he's doing." She smiled at Itachi._

 _He didn't know what he would have done without her that day. That day when everything changed again. Well actually, Itachi did. He probably would have gone insane. She was truly becoming his Angel of Mercy._

 _"Lord Hokage?" There were stunned gasps from the crowd._

 _Not that Itachi could blame them. Swearing on his father's grave like that was perhaps, the ultimate token of sincerity coming from a man like Kakashi. Oh and the fact that he had organized a village meeting when it was raining, that also might have had something to do with it._

 _It wasn't storming by any means. There were somber gray crowds drifting overhead of everyone, but it was only raining lightly. To Itachi, it seemed as if the Heavens themselves were crying. Soft tears of despair for what had been lost._

 _So much blood and all for nothing. It all could have been avoided, but the eldest Uchiha Brother had never wavered in his decision. As much as it would forever torment him, Itachi knew that he had made the right decision._

 _Kakashi sighed and looked around. "This was all Top Secret, as Hokage I have seen fit to declassify it." He had saved far more lives than he had taken that day._

 _"It's almost over." Hinata caressed his cheek._

 _He smiled at her. Itachi still didn't know what he had done to ever deserve her kindness, but he was grateful to have it all the same._

 _"As the older generations are aware, for quite sometime there was some strife between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of the village." Kakashi paused and added. "The reasons why are varied, but that matters little now. When there were whispers that the Uchihas might have something to do with the Nine Tailed Fox's attack, they knew what was going to happen."_

 _Silence. Stunned silence. It was as if everyone was afraid that even breathing too hard would stop Kakashi from continuing._

 _The Hokage shook his head though and continued on. "They felt that the village was about to turn on them and their fears were not entirely unfounded." This might not end well. "So they were planning a coup."_

 _Howls of outrage were heard. Itachi winced. Kakashi might be using a Jutsu to ensure that his voice was heard everywhere, but no Jutsu was necessary at the moment. He could hear every shocked and hateful word that spewed forth from the lips of those who thought his Clan were the real betrayers and each one cut him like a knife._

 _"SILENCE!" The Sixth Hokage was not done and thankfully, the villagers heeded his order._

 _Eerie. That's what it was. There had to be hundreds or even thousands of people crammed by the hospital, but not a single one of them was speaking. Except for Kakashi._

 _He nodded approvingly at their cooperativeness. "The Leaf found out about it. Itachi Uchiha was given a choice." He paused and took a deep breath for a moment, before the tale marched forward. "He could kill his family and protect the Leaf or side with the Uchiha Clan and fight by their side in what likely would have been a bloody civil war."_

 _More gasps were heard. They didn't last long though. The CopyCat Ninja was on a mission and no one was foolish enough to interrupt him again._

 _"Itachi made a deal with Danzo." The silver haired man let out a shaky breath. "If Sasuke were to be spared, he would deal with the problem. And so he did." Another pause. "You can guess most of the story. Almost no one knew the truth, save for a handful of people. Until very recently, not even Sasuke was amongst them."_

 _That's when someone put the dots together. "Is that why Sasuke killed Danzo?" It was Kiba. "Because Danzo ordered a genocide against his Clan?" That surprised Itachi a bit, but he nodded approvingly. Well the Inuzuka Clan always did have good instincts, he noted._

 _Kakashi nodded. "Itachi was also serving as a double agent." Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes grew wide. "He was our spy. Working inside the Akatsuki. Now, that the truth has been revealed, I have decided to pardon him and fully reinstate both Uchiha Brothers into the Hidden Leaf Village."_

Needless to say, word had quickly spread throughout the village. Itachi Uchiha was innocent in a way. He had been ordered to carry out the Massacre and after waiting a few days for the village to fully absorb the news, Kakashi had also informed them that he was being treated at the hospital.

The Sixth Hokage had gone even further though. By informing the entire village that the elder Uchiah Brother had been receiving treatment for months. Thus proving that he was a threat to no one.

"We should start looking in the Sand Village." It would take awhile to get there, but that was his first guess. "Gaara is friends with Naruto. Naruto is friends with Sasuke." That meant that the red head might be more sympathetic towards Sasuke than the other Kages.

Not that his foolish little brother had made it easy for Kages to be sympathetic to him! The man had attacked their Summit! Honestly, what had he been thinking?!

Hinata nods at Itachi and caresses his cheek once more. "It would normally take a ninja three days to reach the Sand from here." Indeed.

He knew exactly what she was saying. "We'll do it in four or five just to be on the safe side." Hinata didn't want him to overexert himself.

He felt far better physically than he had in years. That didn't mean that he was completely naïve though. Itachi Uchiha should still pace himself.

"Good." Hinata smiles at him. "Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. You've always been an excellent patient." And with that, Itachi chuckles as the two embark on their journey. Their journey to find Sasuke.

* * *

Gaara shakes his head at Sasuke. "Are you quite certain that it's a good idea to have that one in the Sand Village?" He glances over at Suigetsu.

Sasuke just smirks. He knew it might be cruel, but he was enjoying it. The harsh Desert Sun did not suit well with Suigetsu. Though he was slowly adjusting.

"He's a ninja." The younger Uchiha Brother shrugs. "He'll adapt."

The red head seemed less than convinced, but he hands them some blueprints nonetheless. "We're adding a new wing to our hospital." Right.

Well that made sense. The Sand had benefited enormously from the war. No longer where they seen as an isolationist village that was filled with bloodthirsty ninjas who had been conditioned by the harsh climate to be ruthless. It was now seen as a very valuable ally to her.

That meant trade was booming. "Alright." Sasuke nods. "We'll help with the building." Particularly with the Stone Village, which is where the Sand was getting all the material to build a new hospital wing, apparently.

Suigetsu whines and looks at Gaara pleadingly. "As long as there will be lots of water on site!" To Sasuke's eternal amusement, the Kazkeage actually shoots him a look of pity.

While Gaara might not know much about the Hozuki Clan, the Kazekage clearly did know about the dangers of heatstroke and dehydration in the desert. So he understood to some degree what the sword lover was going through.

"Here." He hands Suigetsu a canteen of water. "Drink."

Karin smiles at that. "Well at least this village has a normal Kage." She tilts her head to the side as if considering that. "I was starting to wonder, if they actually existed."

Gaara raises an eyebrow at that. "You're a Leaf Ninja now." Karin nods. "Kakashi is a good Hokage."

Sasuke snorts at that. Well, yes he was. The CopyCat Ninja was certainly a good Hokage, but that didn't make him normal.

"That's true, but I think we all know that a man who read erotic literature in front of twelve year olds while training them is anything, but normal." Sasuke rolls his eyes at the memory.

 _They were on their way back to the Leaf after fighting Haku. Sasuke was still well recovering from being turned into a human pincushion. That meant that most of the time, Kakashi was watching him closely._

 _On the bright side, that meant he didn't have to share a tent with Naruto for the moment. "Hmm. I wonder what's in these anyway." Which meant he didn't have to ignore the blonde's loud snoring and provided the young Uchiha with a delightful opportunity._

 _A delightful opportunity to see what was in those books. What could possibly be so fascinating that Kakashi would read them during the Bell Test?! Sasuke just had to know._

 _He waited a few minutes before determining that his instructor was actually asleep, before grabbing one. "It's got to be pretty good." His "Sensei" was always reading these orange books. Surely, whatever was in these tomes had to be utterly fascinating._

 _Sasuke hoped that they were some powerful Jutsus. Jutsus that he could defeat Itachi with. The twelve year old was soon disappointed though._

 _"You've got to be kidding me." His eyes scan the pages. "My Sensei is a pervert."_

 _He might have only been twelve, but the Genin was_ _ **completely**_ _naïve. The Academy did force everyone to take a course about human biology in their final year. It explained the basics._

 _Sasuke surmised that was mostly to teach everyone how to use The Jutsu. Which was probably a good idea. After all, combat ninjas were taken out of the field as soon as it was determined they were pregnant. And well, becoming a father could be a rather distracting experience._

 _He shakes his head at his discovery. "This is just embarrassing." It was embarrassing to have a pervert for a teacher, but that didn't stop the curious twelve year old's internal musings as he flipped through the pages._

 _Unplanned ninja pregnancies could be dangerous and everyone with a lick of common sense knew that. Thus The Jutsu was taught to everyone at the Academy during their final year. It was the smart move in Sasuke's opinion._

 _The class was just infuriatingly basic though. "This isn't." Sasuke blinked as he read the book._

 _From cover to cover. To say the least, Sasuke had received quite the thorough education that day. "Can women really bend that way?" He tilted his head to the side as though considering it. "That should be painful."_

 _He had always known that women were generally more flexible than men, but this was just ridiculous. That had to be made up. "Jiraiya is full of it!" He decided, having glanced at the author's name._

 _"Well I suppose it's only natural for you to be curious." Shit! "Though really, you could have just asked and I assure you that Jiraiya_ _ **thoroughly**_ _researches all aspects of his books." Kakashi chuckled cheerfully. "So yes, women really can bend that way. Well at least some of them."_

"I suppose that's a fair point." Gaara nods in agreement. "Uchiha, are you alright? Your face is turning pink." The red head sounds concerned. "I think you may be getting a sunburn."

Damn. He was blushing at the memory. "Maybe, a little. I'll go and pick up some lotion before we get started." Oh well. He could work the sunburn angle.

Gaara nods in understanding and Jugo opens the door for them. "Well working on a hospital is very productive." The gentle giant muses.

That was true. If nothing else, he could be productive in his time away from the Leaf. Soon enough though, Sasuke would have to return and he would have to face them. Both of them.

The younger Uchiha Brother wasn't entirely certain that he was ready for that, but it was inevitable. And no matter how much it hurt, Sasuke was determined to congratulate them on everything and **never** let them see his pain. That and well, there was a good chance that he would have some adorable nieces and nephews to spoil in the relatively near future. So that would make it more bearable. The Clan would be restored, just not in the way he had originally intended.

* * *

The Sand. They were going to the Sand, Hinata muses. She had never really been there before. So this was bound to be interesting.

"Have you ever been to the Wind Nation before?" She glances at her traveling companion.

Itachi nods at her. "Yes, I have." Though the bluenette supposed that answer shouldn't have surprised her.

The elder Uchiha brother had likely traveled far and wide during his journeys with the Akatsuki. It probably would have been a more prudent question to ask where he **hadn't** been!

"Did you like it?" She looks at him curiously.

It amazed how easily they fell into a pattern. They walked side by side so effortlessly. Most of the time when traveling with almost anyone, you were either in the front or the back.

Itachi chuckles as though he was greatly amused by her question. "I didn't exactly get to explore." Suddenly, he pauses as if a thought had just occurred to him. "Perhaps it would be best if you conducted the search in the Sand Village. The Kazekage likely won't be particularly happy to see me."

"Oh." That was right. "Because the Akatsuki killed him." Hinata winces at her unintentional bluntness.

Itachi didn't seem offended though. "That's right." He looks around, scanning their surroundings. "Though I imagine the news has reached the Sand by now."

It had probably spread across the entire Five Great Nations and even the Island Nations by now, Hinata shakes her head at the thought. News like that, traveled faster than lightning. It was likely that tongues were wagging about the Uchiha Massacre throughout the Ninja _and_ Civilian World.

"Most likely." She agrees as they continue on.

That would indeed be very awkward. Gaara would understand why Itachi had done it. Still, that wouldn't have been easy for anyone to deal with. Coming face to face with one of your would be killers.

Itachi smiles as he places his arm around her. "Before we get there, we shall have to take the proper precautions to prevent that beautiful skin of yours from burning a far more painful shade of red than I have grown accustomed to seeing on you." He was teasing her about blushing?

Ever since the truth of the Uchiha Massacre had been revealed, Hinata had noticed a major difference in Itachi's behavior. It was as if a very large weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Though that was only to be expected really.

He had been carrying such a dark secret around his neck for so long. It must have felt like an anvil. The bluenette honestly had no idea how he had ever managed it.

"Yes, suntan lotion." She giggles at him. "To prevent sunburns."

Slowly, but surely he was starting to act less guilty. While the touches all seemed rather platonic in nature, it was nice. It was nice to have the elder brother touch her and look at her with something other than guilt.

"Mhm." He nods at her. "It's always wise to take precautions when one is traveling this far."

Hinata still wasn't sure what she felt towards either of the Uchihas exactly. With Itachi, there was just something so incredibly soothing and alluring about him. There was a certain serenity about his entire being that made her feel like everything was going to be alright, while he still remained a mystery to her.

Unfortunately, understanding her feelings for Sasuke proved to be no easier. She had always thought that the youngest Uchiha was something of an open book. While he was clearly a solitary creature, it had seemed like he never made any secrets of his motivations.

"That's true." Hinata sighs as they flit through the forest.

At least, that's what the Hyuga Heiress had thought. While one have been horrified by some of Sauske's actions, they were to a degree understandable. Almost anyone could have seen _why_ he was lashing out in such a way.

She had been wrong though. Itachi was right. Sasuke was very much like a volcano. One couldn't tell what was brewing just underneath the surface until it was too late.

"What does your father think of all this?" Itachi looks at Hinata as they jump from tree branch to tree branch.

In this case, it had been love. She understood now. Thanks to the letter and Itachi.

Sasuke hadn't been indifferent towards her at the Academy. It had apparently been the opposite. He actually thought that by ignoring her, he was protecting her in some way. And given what he had thought at the time, that conclusion made perfect sense.

She tilts her head at Itachi's question. "Oh. I don't know really." The Hyuga woman rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "I left a note for him. So he knows not to worry, but I imagine he's not going to be particularly happy with me, when we get back."

It explained so much though. Sasuke had been a good patient because he loved her. Sasuke had asked her about her day because he loved her. And he had left, because he loved her.

Itachi blinks and stares at Hinata incredulously. "Do you realize what you've done?" It was as if he thought that she had grown two heads.

Did she love him though? Hinata didn't know. She supposed she was still in shock these many months later.

She was certainly attracted to him. Sasuke could be a good conversationalist when he wanted to be and he was a selfless lover in a rather unexpected way. He was also highly intelligent, but again he was a volcano.

"I've likely made my father very angry with me, but he'll understand?" She looks at Itachi as if that should be obvious.

Itachi shakes his head and sighs. "Well that and you've likely ensured that I'll never be able to have children."

Hinata didn't understand that last remark. What did her father have to do with Itachi's ability to procreate? That didn't make any sense.

She tilts her head as she looks at him in an utterly bewildered way. "What do you mean?" Her father had nothing to do with Itachi's reproductive capacity.

The elder Uchiha Brother just shakes his head. "He's likely going to strike me with the Gentle Fist in some rather **uncomfortable** areas." Oh. So _that's_ what Itachi meant!

Hinata winces at the visual. That sounded rather painful, but she wouldn't allow that to happen. None of this was Itachi's fault.

"I wouldn't let him do that." She shakes her head as if trying to reassure her traveling companion. "It'd be too cruel and you haven't done anything wrong in this situation. That and the women of the Leaf would be most disappointed, if your…well if you were _injured_ in such an uncomfortable place!"

Itachi chuckles at that and Hinata once again muses that the elder Uchiha Brother would likely forever remain an enigma. In some ways, she doubted that she would ever understand him at all. Like now, for instance.

"And would you be disappointed, if such a thing were to occur?" He teases her. "If I was not able to _perform_ in that respect?"

Upon hearing this, Hinata squeaks and falls out of the tree. "I-ITACHI!" Luckily, the other ninja had excellent reflexes and was able to jump to the ground and catch her before she crashed onto the forest floor.

"I shall take that as a yes." Itachi smiles smugly before flitting off with her in his arms, Bridal Style.


	14. Chapter 14

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 14

 _Maybe, this hadn't been his brightest idea._ It had seemed like a good idea at the time though. What could possibly go wrong with helping the Sand Village add a new hospital wing? Apparently, the answer to that question was _a lot_ , Sasuke thinks to himself.

"And they call themselves ninjas." Sasuke rolls his eyes as he gets himself and Jugo a glass of water.

It really shouldn't have been complicated. All Karin and Suigetsu had to do was just follow the blueprints. Unfortunately, Suigetsu apparently couldn't read blueprints and Karin just couldn't stop swiping at the Hozuki.

Jugo chuckles as he downs the glass of water. "Well you know what they're like." Indeed, the Uchiha did. "So when are we heading back to the Leaf?"

Overgrown children. Honestly, Sasuke couldn't understand it for the life of him. What was it about those two that made it impossible for them to work together unless it was a life or death situation?!

"After the hospital wing is finished or after Gaara asks us to leave." As annoying as two of his teammates were being at the moment, they still had a job to do. "Whichever comes first."

He couldn't put it off much longer. Sooner or later, Sasuke had to face the reality of the situation. He had simply waited too long to tell Hinata how he felt about her. Actually, technically, he hadn't even told her.

He had just been trying to get her used to the idea. Itachi had recommended getting to know her better. To have conversations with her and that's exactly what Sasuke had been doing while his brother had been unintentionally seducing the woman that he loved!

Jugo nods in understanding. "Are you ready to see this Hinata of yours?" Wonderful.

The gentle giant was trying to nudge Sasuke into acting on his feelings, but it was a bad idea. He'd been gone for months now and when he left, Hinata and Itachi had been kissing. It didn't take a genius to realize that their romantic relationship would be even further along by now.

That thought was crushing, but they both deserved to be happy. This was especially the case with Itachi. What right did Sasuke have to deny the other man the chance to find love, after he had sacrificed _everything else_ to protect him?

"I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be." Sasuke sighs.

Which was not ready at all. Still, he was a ninja. It wasn't as if he wasn't used to putting himself into dangerous situations and loving your brother's intended, well that certainly qualified.

* * *

Three days. It had been three days, Hinata observes in the back of her mind. Most likely, they would reach the Sand tomorrow. Probably in the afternoon, but maybe a little earlier or later.

"Hinata, there's only one room left." Itachi glances at her.

Only one room left? There was only one room left at the Inn?! This was likely the only Inn in this entire village! That meant they were going to have to share a room!

That probably wasn't a good idea. "A-Alright." Though it was better than having to sleep outside in the desert somewhere.

It was a small village that was within half a day's journey of the Sand. That was why it had likely sprung up. To give people a place to rest on their way to the Ninja Village where they wouldn't be exposed to the elements.

He simply nods at her and takes the key. "Coming?" And with that, he strides down the hall.

For some reason, sleeping in the same room felt like it would be far more intimate than sleeping on the ground next to each other. Hinata knew that she was likely being silly, but it probably had something to do with the fact that Itachi had carried her around Bridal Style.

Itachi seemed to be growing more comfortable around her again and while it made her blush to admit this, more than once she had woken up in his arms. Who would have ever guessed that Itachi Uchiha was a cuddler? It wasn't that they ever intended for it to happen, it just did.

"Coming!" She follows him.

Perhaps, it was only natural though. Such things often happened on missions. Sadly, she wasn't sure what they even were.

They seemed to be more than friends, but they weren't lovers. The bluenette wasn't even sure, if they were going to be lovers. Her feelings for both brothers were hard to discern.

"Ladies first." He smiles and opens the door for her.

She had never been attracted to two people at once before. It might not matter though, Hinata reminds herself. It had been months and the younger Uchiha Brother clearly thought she was in love with Itachi, so even if she did decide to return his affections…that might be irrelevant.

There was also Itachi to consider. It was obvious in the way he held her, that he cared for her a great deal. Hinata blushes at the memory of waking up in his arms earlier that day.

 _Ridiculously comfortable. Hinata felt ridiculously comfortable. She knew she was in a desert, but she felt so warm. The good kind of warm though. Not the scorching heat of the Desert Sun that had yet to rise._

 _"Mmm." She slowly opened her eyes and blush bloomed upon her face._

 _She was snuggled up to Itachi Uchiha! Hinata was nestled safely in his arms and the other ninja was still fast asleep. Fast asleep with a peaceful expression on his face._

 _The bluenette knew that she should probably wiggle out of his embrace, but it just felt so nice to be held like this. "Don't feel guilty." Itachi's eyes fluttered open._

 _He really did have long eyelashes for a man. Hinata was almost jealous of them. The thought brought a giggle to her lips._

 _"We didn't do it on purpose." She giggled again._

 _Itachi raised an eyebrow at her laughter, if one could call it that. "That's right, but what on Earth is causing you to laugh? One moment ago, you looked as though you were about to going to panic and now, well you look rather amused."_

 _Well normally, Hinata wouldn't think it was a good idea to tell a man this, but it was Itachi. How could she help, but feel anything other than secure when he was holding her this way? So protectively._

 _"It's silly." She blushed. "But I was just admiring your eyelashes."_

 _Itachi blinked and tilted his head to the side. "My eyelashes?" He blinked again, somewhat incredulously. "Well I must admit that no one has ever commented to me before about my eyelashes."_

 _Hinata nodded shyly as she instinctively snuggled against him more. "They should." She laughed softly. "They're very nice."_

"Ever the gentleman." She smiles as she enters the room.

It was a simple room, but it would do. At the very least, it was far cooler inside than outside. That and while she knew she shouldn't, Hinata knew it was more likely than not that she would end up waking up in Itachi's arms again.

He smiles at her as he shuts the door behind them. "Well, I do try." And he succeeded.

What would the reverse be like though? Would Hinata feel just as secure in Sasuke's arms or was it just an Itachi thing? Did it just feel good to snuggle up to anyone in general?

Well she wasn't so sure about the answer to the first two questions, but the Hyuga Heiress had a sneaking suspicion she knew the answer to the last one. No. She doubted very much that cuddling up to just anyone could ever come to waking up in one of the Uchiha Brothers' arms.

* * *

Tsunade shakes her head. "It's going to take awhile, but this is going to be the easiest money that I've ever made." She smirks at Kakashi.

It shouldn't have surprised her, but it did. The silver haired ninja didn't seem the slightest bit concerned that he was going to lose his bet. Why that was the case, she didn't know. His time was running out.

"I've still got a little bit of time." He smiles cheerfully. "And even if they don't get together as early as I predicted, I'm sure that the second part of my bet is accurate."

Guy laughs that and shakes his head. "The Power of Youth and Love are both beautiful things, but they take awhile to bloom!" He grins and strikes a heroic pose.

The busty blonde blinks at that. Honestly, she didn't know whether to find the man's poses endearing or moderately disturbing. So the former Hokage settles on a combination of both.

"I suppose we'll see." Kakashi smiles from behind his desk as he turns a page in his book. "What's the status of the Hiashi Situation?"

Tsunade couldn't help, but cringe at that question. Oh boy. That wasn't something that she was looking forward to!

Dealing with Hiashi Hyuga's wrath was not going to be an easy feat. The man could be quite intimidating at the best of times and this was most certainly not one of those times! His daughter had just run off with a former Criminal Ninja to track down another former Criminal Ninja!

"It's still potentially explosive, but the situation has been contained for now." Guy smiles at Kakashi.

Of course, Tsuande couldn't blame the Hyuga Patriarch in this case. Were she in his position, she would have been equally aghast. After all, former Criminal Ninjas or not, the Uchiha Brothers were both very attractive young men and Hinata was an attractive young woman.

While she didn't view it as likely that Sasuke was actually going to be with Hinata, it was a possibility. That or even Itachi. Hiashi Hyuga must be tearing his hair out now at the thought of his innocent and sweet daughter falling for either of those men!

She raises an eyebrow upon hearing that. "And how has the situation been contained?" Tsunade could scarcely imagine any way to control Hiashi's wrath that didn't involve someone ending up in the hospital.

"Tsunade, don't trouble yourself." Kakashi smiles serenely. "Hiashi may be furious, but he knows that there's nothing he can do about the situation for now." The silver haired man pauses and adds for clarification. "Hiashi has absolutely no idea where any of them went. So he doesn't have a target for his fury yet."

Oh right. Well that would do it. Tsunade did know one thing though, she was suddenly very glad that her name wasn't Sasuke, Itachi, or Hinata. This wasn't going to be pretty!

* * *

Several hours later, Itachi Uchiha was asleep. He was asleep and having a wonderful dream.

 _"And would you be disappointed, if such a thing were to occur?" He smiles at her. "If I was not able to_ _ **perform**_ _in that respect?"_

 _Perhaps predictably Hinata squeaks and falls out of the tree. "I-ITACHI!" Blushing ruby red._

 _It was always such an adorable blush. Truthfully, the blush was made even more so by the fact he caught her in his arms and she was staring up at him with those enchanting lavender eyes of hers._

 _Her eyes were like something out of a fairytale, Itachi decides. The exotic color, innocence, and the shape of them. Bubble eyes. They were definitely bubble eyes._

 _"I'll take that as a yes." He smiles smugly as he carries her off Bridal Style._

 _She felt so good in his arms. The woman was barely heavier than a feather in his mind and she was always so delightfully warm and soft. The way her curvaceous form melded against his own so easily was just wonderfully feminine in a way that he couldn't precisely articulate._

 _She blushes more as she looks up at him. "It is a yes." The woman in his arms leans up slightly and kisses him. "I would be_ _ **very**_ _disappointed."_

 _He took her words and kiss for what it was. An invitation. An invitation to kiss back and perhaps, to do more._

 _"I'm glad to hear that." He whispers as he kisses her._

 _Her touch and kiss was addictive. Equal parts soothing and sensual. It was a wicked combination. One that he never would have expected from such a innocent woman. There might actually be some merit to the old saying that it was always the quiet ones, after all he muses as he hungrily devours her mouth._

 _Memorizing every corner of it. His tongue gliding along the other ninja's in a seductive dance. A dance designed to encourage her to respond to him._

 _She smiles at him. "Mmm, I'm sure you are." And deepened the kiss._

 _The kiss sent a fire through his blood. Thankfully, they were far enough away from the Sand that there were still a few trees sparsely dotting the landscape._

 _He was able to push her against one of the trees and continue kissing her with ease. "That's because you've always been a rather perceptive woman." Allowing his hands to be free to roam over her body at his leisure._

 _"I-Itachi." She sighs in pleasure and tilts her head to the side as he latches onto it, leaving a trail of kisses along it. "That feels really good."_

 _Yes, it did feel really good. It was also about to feel a whole lot better. That was until…_ "Room service!" The sounds of an inn employee woke him up.

Itachi wasn't a naturally violent person by nature, but this was an exception. Never before had he felt such a strong urge to strangle an innocent person before!

"Oh thank you!" Hinata smiles as she wakes up. "Itachi, let's have breakfast and then heads towards the Sand."

Itachi nods. "Alright. That sounds like a good plan." Well at least it was better than strangling the Inn employee!

* * *

Back in the Sand, Gaara shakes his head. It was still hard to believe that Sasuke Uchiha was doing construction work, but it was the truth. The other man was clearly trying to turn over a new Leaf.

"I do appreciate the help." The red head smiles at him. "Though I can't lie. I am surprised that you've managed to pull yourself out of that Darkness."

Sasuke shakes his head. "I haven't." He sighs as if there was still something weighing heavily upon his very soul. "Well at least not entirely."

The Kazekage nods in understanding. He could certainly sympathized. There were still days where he struggled with the weight of what he had done. .What he had done before the demon was removed.

One day though, he hoped that the youngest Uchiha would be able to find peace. Peace in the Leaf and within himself. Though it appeared that day hadn't come yet.

"You're trying though." He offers the other man a rare smile. "And that's what matters most."

He should probably attempt to strike up a friendship with Sasuke. Naruto would certainly be happy about it and it was the right thing to do. Perhaps asking about his family would help to forge a stronger bond, he muses to himself.

Sasuke nods in acknowledgement. "That's true. Well the hospital wing should be finished in a couple weeks." It really was so much easier to destroy things than to build them, the Kazekage decides.

"I'm glad to hear it." The red head smiles at Sasuke. "So how is Itachi doing? Is his recovery going well?"

The question didn't elicit the response that Gaara had been expecting. Instead of looking concerned for Itachi or happy at having been asked, Sasuke looked rather panicked. That was strange.

"Last I heard, he was doing well in the hospital." Sasuke sighs and Gaara determines that he wasn't getting the full story. "An illness like his though, well that takes some time to recover from."

Gaara nods in understanding. "Of course. Well I do wish him a speedy recovery and hope that you find what you're looking for."

Sasuke shoots him a grateful look as he heads towards the door. Most likely, he was leaving in order to work on the hospital's construction some more.

"Thanks." Sasuke nods and with that, he makes his departure.

* * *

About five hours later, Hinata heads into the Sand Village. She had Itachi find himself a room at another Inn. It was just easier that way.

There was no reason to make the Kazekage feel uncomfortable without just cause. "May, I please speak with Lord Gaara?" She smiles at one of the guards.

The journey had been made in relative silence. For some reason, Itachi wasn't feeling as conversational as usual. That and occasionally, it had looked like he might have been blushing.

That couldn't possibly be the case though. Itachi Uchiha didn't blush. Hinata decides that must have been sunburn.

"Of course, Lady Hinata." The guard nods and swiftly leaves to inform Gaara of her arrival.

Her eyes gave her away, the Hyuga Heiress supposed. Even without the Leaf headband, they would have screamed Hyuga. Which of course, screamed Leaf Villager.

"Lady Hinata, what can I do for you?" Gaara strides towards her a few moments later.

It was amazing really. She could scarcely believe someone her age was a Kage, but it was true. Then again, she knew that was at least partially Naruto's influence. And thinking of Naruto made her think of Sasuke. Which reminded her why she was there.

"Itachi and I are looking for Sasuke." She pauses, not sure how much she should really explain. "We thought he might have come to the Sand Village. Is he here?"

Gaara blinks in surprise. "I had no idea that Itachi was up to traveling at this juncture." He smiles though, clearly pleased by the other man's recovery. "Yes, Sasuke is here and so are his companions. I believe they refer to themselves as Taka." He tilts his head to the side. "Why, is something wrong?"

Well she really should have expected that question in hindsight. It was only natural that the red head would suspect something was wrong.

"No. Nothing is wrong." She smiles at him. "We've just both missed him and want to share the good news with him." The bluenette elaborates. "That Itachi is well again."

Mercifully, the Kazekage appeared to accept that at face value. "Of course." He smiles. "Well he and Taka have been working on the construction site for awhile. The Sand is adding a new wing to our hospital."

Gaara sounded so proud. It was rather endearing really. Anyone could see how much he adored his village.

"Oh that's nice of them." Hinata beams as she hugs Gaara lightly. "Thank you!" And before, the Kazekage could protest the hug, the bluenette darts off to find Sasuke!

* * *

Approximately ten minutes later, Sasuke Uchiha got the biggest shock of his life. "Hinata?" The desert heat was obviously playing tricks on his mind.

There was no way that that the Hyuga Heiress was in the Sand Village. He was seeing things. At least, that's what he thought until Suigetsu opens his big, fat mouth.

"Whose the babe?" He looks at Sasuke.

Sasuke twitches and smacks Suigetsu upside the bed. "As far as your concerned, her name is Off Limits." Because that is exactly what the bluenette was to Suigetsu Hozuki! Firmly off limits!

Hinata races over to Sasuke and jumps right into his arms, embracing him tightly. "Sasuke!" She beams at him. "I'm so glad that I found you!"

Jugo blinks. "I'm assuming that's Hinata." Sasuke heard him, of course. He'd answer the gentle giant later though.

Right now, he had more important things to attend to than Jugo's bewilderment. "What are you doing here?" He looks at her in confusion, though Sasuke couldn't resist returning the embrace.

Just like that, all those months of trying to get over her were erased. Meaningless. It was as if not even a day had passed by when she was embracing him in this way. So joyfully.

It was as if he was really the center of her world. "We were worried about you." Wait. We?

"Damn." Suigetsu blinks. "Sassy is hugging someone." He whistles innocently. "The Apocalypse is near."

Sasuke rolls his eyes at that and flips Suigetsu off. He hoped Hinata didn't see it, but sometimes the guy just asked for it. Right back to the fact he was currently about two breaths away from having a heart attack.

"Hinata, please tell me that you didn't bring Itachi all the way to the Sand with you." That would be crazy.

Assuming that Itachi had been released early, traveling to the Sand Village would have been tempting fate. And to make matters worse, Hinata should have known that as a medic!

Hinata shakes her head and looks up innocently at him. "Alright." She laughs softly as she smiles up at him. "I won't tell you then."

Damn it. That meant she did. Great. Now, Sasuke would have to face Itachi. The man had traveled across two nations to find him. The very least the younger Uchiha could do was talk to him, even if he really didn't want to.

This was especially the case, now that he was holding Hinata. The feeling of her in his arms, her scent, and her laugh reminded him of _home_ somehow. He didn't want to have to give her up again.

"And I assume that he's waiting for me?" Sasuke sighs heavily, still not letting her go, much to Karin's annoyance.

Hinata nods her head energetically. Sasuke sighs and shakes his head in response. How could he say no to that face? To those eyes? Damn the Bubble Eyes Jutsu!

 _"Big brother, what is mother doing?" Sasuke blinked as he noticed Mikoto was looking up at their father with a strange look on her face._

 _Itachi shook his head. "I call it the Bubble Eyes Jutsu." He paused. "It's something women do to men, when they want something."_

 _Sasuke innocently tilted his head. At the time, he hadn't understood the power of the Bubble Eyes Jutsu._

 _"Is it a strong Jutsu?" He looked at Itachi._

 _Itachi nodded his head. "Oh yes, it's **very** powerful." His brother decided to clarify. "It's more powerful than even my Fireball Jutsu."_

 _That was unfathomable to the young boy. He couldn't imagine anything being stronger than a fireball at the time. He blinked at Itachi in confusion._

 _"Wow, really?" That was incredible!_

 _"Yes, it is." Itachi chuckled and poked his forehead. "Foolish little brother, no man can resist the Bubble Eyed Jutsu."_

 _Owe! Why did he always do that?! Sasuke glared at Itachi for the forehead poke._

 _"What does she want him to do anyway?" He looked up at Itachi as he rubbed his forehead._

 _Itachi smiled and shrugged. "She wants him to go dancing with her." Ohh._

 _Hey, wait a minute. "But Father doesn't know how to dance." He'd heard their father remark that on more than one occasion. He thought it was silly or something._

 _"Exactly, Sauske." Itachi smirked._

 _A few minutes later, Aiya came over to them and smiled. "Well it looks like I'm watching the two of you tonight. Your parents are going dancing." Sasuke just gaped at her. The Bubble Eyes Jutsu had actually worked!_

"Yes, he is." Hinata smiles at him.

That thing was lethal. "Damn the Bubble Eyes Jutsu." He grumbles.

The bluenette tilts her head in confusion at his response. "I'm sorry, what?" Wait. Had he actually said that out loud?

Sasuke just shook his head and took her hand in his. Right. Not only did he have to go and see Itachi after everything, the youngest Uchiha somehow had to miraculously recover his dignity.

Just perfect. "Nevermind. Let's go see him." He smiles at her and then turns his attention to Taka. "We'll be back later." And with that, Sasuke allows Hinata to Flicker them back towards Itachi.

The moment had arrived, Sasuke supposed. The moment where he would have to look Itachi in the eye and lie. He would somehow have to find the strength to smile like everything was okay, when it most definitely was not.

He would do it though. Sasuke would do it for the women he loved and his brother. His two most precious people.


	15. Chapter 15

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** A bit of citrus to tide everyone over while we continue our trek towards the Land of Lemonade.

Chapter 15

 _Time was a funny thing,_ Itachi thinks to himself. While it seemed like an eternity waiting for Hinata to get back, he knew in reality it was probably less than an hour. An hour wasn't a very long time structurally, but apparently it could _feel_ like forever.

"Itachi, we're back!" Hinata's voice calls out as she walks into the room that the eldest Uchiha Brother was staying in.

This time, they had separate rooms. The former Akatsuki Member had no idea how his brother felt about either of them at this time, but he couldn't risk it. Itachi couldn't risk Sasuke stumbling on them sharing a room and assuming things.

His foolish little brother was very good at assuming things. Sasuke had just assumed that Itachi was telling the truth about why he had slaughtered their Clan. He had assumed that because he kissed Hinata that meant that the two of them were in a relationship. Sasuke assumed a lot of things that from almost anyone's perspective were perfectly logical assumptions to make, but often turned out to be wrong.

He forces himself to smile though. "Good." Despite the war that was currently raging within his very soul.

It was Sasuke's habit of assuming things that would be their biggest obstacle to overcome at the moment. That was why part of Itachi was terrified to face his brother's ire or worse his sadness. The other part was leaping for joy on the other hand that they had finally found Sasuke.

"Itachi." Sasuke comes through the door and looks at him.

Just looks at him, but that look said so much. Body language could often reveal far more than mere verbal communication. Sasuke was anxious, but trying to hide it.

Itachi smiles at him though and walks over to his brother. "You shouldn't have run off like that." Embracing him. "Foolish little brother." Before poking his forehead.

Sasuke looked guilty as well and there were subtle glimpses of bitterness and anger. The bitterness was likely because he believed Itachi had stolen Hinata away from him and the anger, well that was two pronged.

His brother had good reason to be angry. Angry at the other Uchiha for "seducing" Hinata. Angry at himself for not making his feelings known and knowing Sasuke, he was probably internalizing that fury.

"I needed time." Sasuke glares at him as he rubs his forehead. "And stop doing that!" He shakes his head. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

If he knew Sasuke, he likely was furious at himself for feeling bitter in the first place. In all likelihood, this was the closest to becoming a martyr that Sasuke would ever get. He had wanted to ensure Itachi found happiness by sacrificing his own. Which was never an easy thing to do.

Hinata giggles at Sasuke's sulking. "You should probably ease up on that, Itachi." She smiles at both brothers. "You don't want to leave a bruise there. That would be awkward to explain."

"He could always wear his headband over it." Itachi suggest cheerfully.

The eldest Uchiha made sure that his cheerful tone matched their cheerful surroundings. The ceilings and walls were made of handsome gray, brown, and golden stones. The floor had a silken gray carpet over it. Though it was the bed that most caught his attention with its snowy blankets and fluffy golden pillows and sheets.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Months away from me and that's what you have to say?" Well this was going better than he ever dared to expect.

It seemed Sasuke wanted to live in denial for awhile longer. Itachi was prepared to indulge him temporarily, if that's what it took to get him back to the Leaf. Once they were there, they could get this all sorted out. Somehow.

"That's just his way of saying that he missed you." Hinata smiles at Sasuke.

He almost felt a bit jealous. One smile from the Byakugan Princess was apparently all it took to put his brother at ease. Well at least for a short time. Itachi wasn't nearly naïve enough to believe that sweet smile would fix everything.

Sasuke shakes his head. "Oh believe me, I know." He sighs and embraces Hinata.

It was a chaste embrace, but one he obviously couldn't resist making. Itachi notes that his foolish little brother was seemingly unable to resist the comfort of her touch, but he was holding her in a way that no one could misinterpret. It was most assuredly not how one would hold their lover.

"Sasuke, did you find what you were looking for?" They both knew what he was really asking though. "Or do you need more time?"

Was his brother ready to return to the Leaf? Had he stuck to his decision to "give up" Hinata or was he going to "fight for her?" Thankfully, Sasuke didn't know that Hinata knew the truth.

That was perhaps their greatest advantage. Things would be far less awkward, if he didn't know that. Well at least for a little while. Itachi did fully have every intention of telling him everything, but first they had to get Sasuke back home.

Sasuke eyes him warily. "More time would be better." Damn. His foolish little brother was going to be stubborn.

"Sasuke, we're not going to leave until tomorrow at the earliest." Hinata caresses his cheek. "So you can sleep on it, if that helps." She smiles at him reassuringly.

His foolish little brother had chosen well when he fell for this one. Clever. A way to get him to consider the idea without objecting it outright. It was a good way to stall for time.

The youngest Uchiha sighs as he looks at Hinata. "Alright, I'll sleep on it." He tilts his head at Itachi. "If you want though, I can show you two around the Sand Village."

The implication of that was obvious. Sasuke was worried that Itachi might not be up to it. He had just gotten out of the hospital and made quite the long journey. So it was an understandable concern, even if it did wound his pride.

"I think that I can manage a short walk around the village." Itachi smiles. "After all, the Sand isn't nearly as large as the Leaf."

* * *

Naruto flails back in the Leaf Village. "I can't believe they didn't take me with them!" Unbelievable!

Sakura shakes her head at the blonde. Oh boy. She could see where this was going and it wasn't anywhere good.

"Naruto, Itachi is Sasuke's brother and Hinata was his medic." She nods her head as if that explained everything. "I know that you want to help, but you and Sasuke have never been very good at discussing your feelings with each other."

That was putting it rather mildly, she thinks to herself. The amount of times that her teammates had nearly killed each other was far too high. Really, it was a miracle that they were both alive.

The blonde sighs, seeming to recognize the validity of that argument. "I guess." He grumbles. "I still can't believe they just snuck off like that though."

Sakura could believe it. It was very easy to understand why they had done it. Whatever was going on with Sasuke it required a more subtle approach to deal with.

Naruto was many things. Subtle wasn't one of them. So the medic could understand why they had slipped of like that.

"Doesn't matter." She shakes her head. "We have no idea where they went, anyway." The pink haired woman gives him a dirty look. "And we aren't going on some wild goosechase all over the Five Great Nations."

Hell, they might not even be in one of the Five Great Nations for all Sakura and Naruto knew. It would be very much like Sasuke to slip into a smaller nation sandwiched between two Ninja Nations or even to head towards an Island Nation.

As expected, her friend groans at that. "Awe, come on!" Naruto really had been planning on running off after them.

Most likely without any sort of plan. It would be such a Naruto thing to do. Sakura sighs and shakes his head.

"Besides, Hinata and Itachi could do with some alone time anyway." She didn't want to play this card, but if it would calm Naruto down…she would.

Naruto's sapphire blue eyes suddenly look at her in confusion. "Why would Itachi and Hinata need alone time?" It was adorable, really.

How someone who had defeated Madara could look so innocent was beyond Sakura. There were a lot of days when it was hard to believe that they weren't Genin anymore. At least half the time, the blonde still acted like that kid who had painted the faces of the Hokages like clowns!

"I don't want you to say anything because it'll embarrass both of them." Sakura sighs, knowing that there was no turning back now. "Alright?"

Naruto nods his heads eagerly. It was apparent that he was eager to be let in on the big secret! Not that Sakura could blame him. This was rather juicy to say the least.

"I won't tell." He smiles at her. "I promise!"

Sakura liked to think she knew her teammate well and that was why she was torn. On one hand, Naruto couldn't keep a secret to save his life. On the other hand, he never broke his promises either. In the end, the latter fact won out. If Naruto said that he would keep it a secret, he would.

"Itachi likes Hinata." Sakura sighs in relief.

It was a relief to finally tell someone about this. Someone who wasn't Hinata. The medic suddenly felt like a massive weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

Naruto's eyes widen and he falls over in shock. "I-Itachi likes Hinata?!" Sakura nods in confirmation. "Damn. I was wrong."

"Yes." She nods again. "Wait. What were you wrong about?"

Goodness only knows what the blonde had been dreaming up. Naruto was endlessly creative and sometimes, that could get him into trouble. There was no telling what he had been speculating about.

Naruto laughs and rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well um awhile ago, I was visiting Sasuke and Itachi when they were in the hospital."

Uh huh. That sounded normal so far. Though Sakura knew better than to be lulled into a false sense of security. Naruto wouldn't be looking at her that way, if he hadn't done something stupid.

"Right." She looks at him encouragingly. "So what happened?"

Naruto blushes and looks rather embarrassed. "Well I kinda thought Sasuke liked Hinata." He pauses and elaborates. "The way he was looking at her and being so nice to her made me think that he did." Another pause. "I talked to Itachi about it though and well, yeah he made me think that I was wrong."

Sakura blinks. Well that made sense. Of course, it did. If Itachi liked Hinata, he'd tell Naruto that Sasuke didn't like her because he didn't.

Wait. Did he? She bites her lower lip as she considers the possibility. Was it possible that they had gotten the "wrong brother?"

"What made you think that specifically?" Maybe, the blonde had just imagined things.

Naruto blushes and takes a few steps back. "Well when she was walking away, he was looking at her like Pervy Sage." Telltale signs that he fully expected to get smacked.

He didn't though. Sakura was too shocked to smack him for being a pervert. Was it possible, after all?

"Itachi kissed her though." She blinks.

That meant he had to have feelings for Hinata. That's when a terrifying thought occurs to her. Oh God!

"He what?!" The bubbly blonde blinks as he flails around in shock.

Maybe, it wasn't just Itachi. What if both Uchihas had feelings for the Hyuga Heiress. This wouldn't end well.

"They both like her." She whispers in horror.

* * *

A short while later, Hinata smiles as she walks between Itachi and Sasuke. Much like with Itachi, the younger Uchiha seemed to easily fall into an easy gait with her. The three of them were walking side by side. Effortlessly.

"So tell us, Sasuke, what have you been doing all this time?" Itachi glances at his brother curiously.

Itachi was smart to make small talk, Hinata decides. There was no need to address the big issues at the moment. The most important thing was getting Sasuke back to the Leaf.

After that, she didn't know what she'd do. Hinata loved being with Itachi. He made her feel safe and cherished, but so did Sasuke. How was she ever going to choose between them?

"We've been all over the place." Sasuke smirks. "We were on a farm for awhile."

Should she choose between them? Was it really worth ruining their relationship so she could have a lover? Maybe, she should just feign a polite rejection for the both of them.

Sasuke's answer surprised her though. "A farm?" She couldn't imagine Sasuke on a farm. "What did you do there?"

"A bit of everything. Mostly, we tended to the animals though." He smiles at her.

Hinata wasn't really sure why, but it was an erotic thought. She must be becoming some sort of deviant, the Hyuga Heiress thinks to herself. Why else would the thought of Sasuke on a farm be so erotic?

 **Warning Hinata's Fantasy**

 _It felt so good. "S-Sasuke!" The feeling of his lips against her neck and his hands all over her body._

 _She was pushed against the wall of what she assumed was probably a stable and completely naked. Completely naked and utterly at his mercy. Sasuke chuckles in dark satisfaction as his lips go lower._

 _"I like it when you say my name like that." He smirks as he covers her bare breasts with kisses before licking at a nipple. "Like you can't wait for me to fuck you."_

 _Hinata blushes at his words, but she squirms against the wall. She couldn't really deny the truth of them. She was already wet and he wasn't even completely undressed._

 _Sasuke was shirtless. The muscular planes of his chest were fully exposed, but he was wearing pants. Pants that were hopefully going to come off very soon._

 _"I'll b-be sure to do it more often then." She kisses him shyly as Sasuke caresses her breasts with one hand while he squeezes her ass. "Feels good, but you're w-wearing too many clothes!"_

 _That's when his hand drifted until it was placed between her inner thighs. "S-SASUKE!" Touching her in her most intimate place._

 _"Just like that." He purrs with approval before moving even further down._

 _Leaving a trail of kisses along her stomach and over her thighs, before parting them. The Uchiha was now sitting on his knees and his tongue was driving her to absolute madness._

 _He was licking her in the way a cat might savor a fine cream. "S-SASUKE!" His fingers now toying with her clit and sliding in and out of her teasingly._

 _It only took a few more strokes of his tongue, before she came hard. Sasuke actually smirked at that and took advantage of that fact by kicking off his pants._

 _Before she knew what was happening, he had managed that and had her pinned to the wall again. "Wrap your legs around me." There was a rather primal command in his voice._

 _One that she couldn't resist. Not that she really wanted to. So she wraps her legs around his waist and that's when he entered her._

 _"Perfect." He growls with approval as he kisses her hotly and takes her against the wall._

 _Every thrust made her moan. She could feel the wall press against her back, but that just made it better. More impressed. Sasuke wanted her badly enough that he couldn't even wait to get to a bed and that's when…_ she felt a hand on her forehead and snapped out of her daydream.

 **End of Hinata's Fantasy**

"Are you alright?" Sasuke tilts his head as he checks her temperature. "I think you're getting sunburn. You're face is all red."

Hinata blushes more. "I'm f-fine." She really hoped that Sasuke and Itachi couldn't see what a bad liar she was.

If they did, neither of them would ever look at her the same way again. She knew that much for a fact. What on Earth was wrong with her?!

* * *

Later that night, Sasuke was in the same Inn that Itachi and Hinata were. He was also experiencing a nightmare. One that he had had so often before.

 _Blood. There was blood everywhere. He could see the bodies of his parents on the floor and Itachi was there._

 _"Itachi! Mother, father!" He gestured at their parents' bodies were laying on the floor. "We have to get help!"_

 _The familiar scene played out before him in startlingly clear detail. The only difference was he smelled lavender and vanilla in the background and for some reason, felt something warm and soft against his skin._

 _It soothed him despite the situation. That's when he notices Itachi wasn't thirteen anymore. He was an adult again and they weren't alone._

 _"Hinata?" He blinked when looked behind him._

 _Hinata nodded and smiled. "It's okay, Sasuke." She wrapped her arms behind him and seemed to be almost cuddling him. "It's over now."_

 _"She's right." He tilted his head towards the outside." Lets leave this unpleasantness in the past."_

 _Sasuke nodded dumbly as he followed them. The outside was different than before. It should have been nighttime, but it wasn't. It was the middle of the day and the birds were chirping. His mother's garden was flourishing._

 _"What's going on?" He looked at them in an utterly bewildered fashion._

 _Itachi poked his forehead. "Foolish little brother, you were having a nightmare." Oh._

And that's when he woke up.

He woke up in his bed, but he wasn't alone. Hinata was curled up next to him on one side and Itachi on the other. What was going on?

"Shhh." Itachi places his fingertips by his lips, trying to silence Sasuke. "Don't wake her."

Indeed, Hinata appeared to be fast asleep. She was resting comfortably against him. It was almost as if she belonged there, even though Sasuke knew that wasn't the truth.

She loved Itachi. Hinata had chosen Itachi. He shouldn't stand in their way. He should do the honorable thing and try to be happy for them. It was just that was so difficult.

"What's going on?" He demands.

This was especially the case when she was laying next to him so sweetly. He could feel the warmth of her body against his own and her scent surrounded him. It would have all been perfect, if it wasn't for the very simple fact that she was likely romantically involved with his brother.

Itachi shakes his head. "A lot." Uh huh. That explained things perfectly, Sasuke thought rather sarcastically to himself. "You were having a nightmare."

Yeah. That much was obvious. Though that didn't explain why the two of them were in his bed. Unless…

"Did I wake the two of you?" He sighs.

His brother smiles reassuringly at him. "Yes, but that's fine. We're ninjas, we can handle having our beauty rest disturbed." Itachi sighs at him. "So we came in to comfort you, but you wouldn't wake up. One thing lead to another and well, here we are."

Right. Now he understood where the scent of lavender and vanilla had come from in his dream. Though that didn't mean he had any idea what he was going to do next about this situation.

"That was kind of the two of you to comfort me." He shakes his head. "I feel like I'm a little kid again."

Sasuke would often sneak into Itachi's room when he was scared of something. Usually a particularly bad storm, but sometimes nightmares. It was a bit awkward to realize that had happened as an adult, but at least he hadn't done anything unforgivable. Not yet, anyway.

Itachi smiles at him as if he thought Sasuke was being endearingly difficult. "Sasuke, you're very precious to both of us." He pauses. "You know that or at least you should."

Sasuke nods in acknowledgement. He knew that, but Hinata didn't see him that way. She didn't see him the same way she saw his brother and somehow, he'd make himself accept that.

"I know." He glance at Itachi awkwardly. "So did you and Hinata share a room?"

That would tell him all he needed to know really. If they were already lovers, they would have just gotten one. If they weren't, they would have gotten two.

Sasuke wasn't entirely sure which answer he was hoping for. Two rooms would mean that there was still a slight possibility that he might win Hinata's love. One meant that it was over, but his brother and Hinata were happy.

"Separate rooms." Itachi shakes his head. "Sasuke, you really should stop assuming things. It gets you into no end of trouble!"

Assuming things?! How was he assuming anything?! He had seen them kiss?!

Sasuke feels himself twitch. "I left because I thought was best." He sighs and looks away. "I wanted to do something for you for once. You've given up so much for me and I wanted the both of you to be happy." He lets out a shaky breath, not entirely trusting himself to speak at the moment. "And if you found that with each other, I wasn't going to stand in your way."

He had left for nothing. Itachi wasn't involved with Hinata. At least, it didn't sound like it. So why had he left?!

"I know, I read as much in your letter." Exactly! "I couldn't do it, Sasuke." He shakes his head. "I do have feelings for Hinata, but I couldn't deny you the chance to tell her how you feel."

Sasuke blinks. Damn it. Itachi always had to go and be the martyr!

"It doesn't matter!" It was taking all his strength not to rage at his brother. "She chose you and you chose her!"

Itachi pokes his forehead. "Foolish little brother, you've never actually asked her to make a choice." Well that was true. "Why don't you ask Hinata about what she wants before you make assumptions and end up wandering around the Five Nations with a giant, a banshee, and a man with a sword fetish?"

Right. Well that was a good point. Maybe, he should ask her, Sasuke thinks to himself as he gazes at her sleeping form.

That could end either very well or very badly though. What if she didn't have any feelings for him and told him so? That would make things awkward between them forever. Then again, what if she did have feelings for him? Then that would make things awkward between him and Itachi. Still, the not knowing was going to drive him crazy.

"Alright." Sasuke swallows hard. "I'll do it." He'd ask her. "I just need to wait for the right moment is all."

He was stalling and they both likely knew that, but Itachi was too kind to call him on it. "Very well then." He shakes his head. "Though I wouldn't take too long if I were you Sasuke. Time is a very funny thing."


	16. Chapter 16

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** The information on why Genin Teams are constructed that way is pure speculation on my part. I don't believe that the reason was ever explained in cannon, but I could be wrong. Still for plot purposes, these theories are what I decided to go with. Happy reading.

Chapter 16

Hinata snuggles closer to whatever was keeping her so nice and warm. She felt _ridiculously_ comfortable. "Mmm." She mumbles as she burrows against the source of this wonderful warmth and it got even better because there were two sources of it, but her sleepy mind didn't care about that.

"Reminds me of a cuddly kitten." Itachi chuckles.

Sasuke smiles and nods. "Yeah." He couldn't resist running his fingers through her soft, silky hair.

 _"Reminds me of a cuddly kitten,"_ Hinata dimly registers someone saying.

That and someone was agreeing with the first speaker. She knew those voices from somewhere, but she was still caught halfway between the Land of Dreams and the Waking Realm.

Itachi glides his hand over Hinata's arm. "It's obvious that you still adore her." Hinata was conscious enough to register that felt very good, but she wasn't in a mood that would allow her to worry about anything.

"Of course, I do." Sasuke sighs as he continues playing with her hair.

Wait. That was Itachi's and Sasuke's voice, wasn't it? Yeah. It definitely was, Hinata realizes as slowly is roused by their voices.

The elder Uchiha Brother shakes his head. "Could you really give her up?" He eyes Sasuke warily. "I won't lie to you. Not anymore." The other ninja pauses. "My feelings for her have grown very strong."

"No, I tried to." Sasuke places a soft kiss at her temple. "I wanted to do the right thing. To bow out so you could both be happy." They were talking about her! "And I know that's foolish because she was never mine to begin with."

That answered that question. Sasuke still had feelings for her and so did Itachi. What it didn't answer was what she was going to do about any of that!

There was a pregnant pause before Itachi answered. "That's not you being foolish." It seemed that for all his intellectual prowess, the other man was truly at a loss for what to say. "That's only natural. You've loved her for years. One doesn't get over that quickly and I don't really want you to."

Itachi didn't want Sasuke's feelings to fade? Did that mean that he wanted to be with her? Having feelings for someone wasn't necessarily the same as being with them. Hinata knew that, but the older ninja was acting as if he wanted to reverse roles with Sasuke.

"It doesn't matter what I want." Sasuke shrugs, though Hinata didn't see it. "It matters what she wants." His voice was a bit shaky. "And if that's you and you return her affections, then I'll step aside."

That was incredibly sweet, but Hinata didn't like where this was going. She was going to be forced to make a choice. Itachi or Sasuke.

Another pause. "I feel the same way." Hinata didn't have to open her eyes to know that Itachi was gazing at Sasuke intently. "It's her decision, but I do not wish for their to be bitterness between us." Everything about Itachi was intense, she noted. "I love you and such and outcome would only distress her."

Distress was putting it mildly! Hinata was panicking! No matter what she did, she was going to hurt one or both of them!

"You're right." Sasuke smiles wistfully as he pulls the blankets around Hinata more tightly. "It'd be hard not to be bitter, but I'll try. As much for her safe as for ours."

Hinata knew that meant. There was going to be bitterness, but the two of them would try to hide it. She didn't know if that would be better or worse than them confronting each other about it openly.

They were two beautiful forces of nature. Itachi was a tsunami and Sasuke a volcano. Both of which could look calm on the surface, but underneath it all their emotions were raging.

"Good." Itachi was probably smiling. "Then I suppose we're in agreement then." Though Hinata knew it was forced.

The elder Uchiha Brother was a master at hiding his emotions, but it didn't take a genius to realize what was going on. He was trying to smooth things over before they got out of hand. Unfortunately, it was probably too late for that.

Sasuke nods, though Hinata couldn't see it. "Yes, we are." His fingers were still gliding through her hair. "Lets let our princess sleep in this morning." It felt good, but the bluenette's nerves were completely edge. "We'll worry about everything else later."

Later sounded good. Between Sasuke's gentle touches and Itachi's protective hold on her, Hinata soon finds herself lulled right back to sleep. Despite everything, at that moment she felt perfectly safe and cherished.

* * *

Back in the Leaf, Kakashi chuckles as he takes a stroll through the Leaf. The reason for his chuckling was soon very much apparent. Sakura was dragging Naruto off his ear.

"I wonder what he did this time." The silver haired man muses out loud as he flips another page in his book.

It was strange really. Despite being his student AND Jiraiya's, Naruto was still utterly clueless when it came to dealing with women. Perhaps, he should have spoken to the blonde on the topic before the medic felt it necessary to treat the other ninja as her personal piñata.

Suddenly, someone was by his side and also chuckling. "Some things never change, eh Kakashi?" It was Guy.

The CopyCat Ninja didn't have to ask what his friend meant by that. It was rather obvious. Naruto and Sakura were well Naruto and Sakura.

"I suppose that's true, but I've always thought the squads were somewhat deliberately set up to encourage this sort of thing." For the longest time, Kakashi had wondered why most Genin Squads had two boys and one girl.

Now, he had a fairly good idea why that was. Though he did wonder, if Guy had figured it out as well. This could prove most amusing.

Guy chuckles at that. "Putting a teenage girl with two teenage boys does have a way of encouraging the women to become feistier and soften the boys up a bit." His friend's chuckle soon morphs into a giant belly laugh. "And to helps them to accept the fact that for the rest of their lives, women are going to be bossing them around in some form or another. So they might as well get used to it." He teases the other man playfully.

Kakashi nods in agreement. "Of course, we're speaking in generalist terms." That wasn't always the case. Though he supposed it made sense. "And God help us all, the Leaf is famous for producing love triangles in our squad because of how teams are formed."

The Hokage shivers as he remembers his own squad. What a mess that had been. Obito had been in love with Rin, who was either in love with him or only saw the two of them as friends. He had never been quite sure.

The mere memory of her death, still brought tears to her eyes. It was because of her noble sacrifice that she had died so _young._ Too young for anything to really have come of the little love triangle on their version of Team Seven, no matter what she had felt.

"Yeah." Guy grins. "I'm joking." He pauses and adds as an afterthought. "Mostly."

His own version of Team Seven, if anything had been worse. Naruto had liked Sakura. Who liked Sasuke. Who didn't appear to like anyone.

Though it seemed his most elusive student had managed to keep his cards close to his vest the whole time. "I suppose that it could just be the fact that far fewer girls enroll in the Academy than boys." Who would have ever guessed that Sasuke was actually carrying a torch for the Hyuga Heiress?

Not Kakashi. That was for damn sure. Though he supposed it made sense in a strange way. People did say opposites attracted and well, Sasuke and Hinata were certainly that. Complete opposites.

"That's true." Guy tilts his head as he considers it. "Maybe boys are just more interested in becoming ninjas in general."

That or their families didn't want their daughters to become ninjas. If you were a ninja and became pregnant, that meant that for duration of your pregnancy you were taken off active combat duty and for your recovery period. Most ninjas didn't like putting their careers on hold for roughly a year.

"I mean it, don't you dare tell anyone!" Sakura growls at Naruto as she drags him off towards the Ramen Shop.

"I don't think that I even want to know." Kakashi sighs as he flips another page in his book.

Guy laughs and shakes his head. "Well I heard that the squad formation was Tobirama's idea." Kakashi raises an eyebrow at that.

Hmm. That sounded interesting. Then again, the Second Hokage had a habit of forming systems. The Academy and the ANBU were both his ideas. Not to mention the disastrous choice to put the Uchihas in charge of the Military Police Force and give them their own District. In short, Tobirama Senju's ideas either worked out really well or ended in catastrophe.

"Care to elaborate on that?" The silver haired man looks at him curiously.

Guy pauses, but nods. "Back before the Leaf was founded, it was quite common for a woman's husband to die on battle. Leaving her a widow when she was young and likely had small children." He nods sadly at this. "Eventually, some of the Clans started encouraging a rather creative solution."

That sounded potentially ominous. A creative solution? Kakashi wasn't sure that he liked where this was going.

"And what was the solution?" The Hokage looks at his friend warily.

Guy smiles at him reassuringly. "Well it was made legal for a woman to have more than one husband." He pauses. "The reverse had been true for awhile, but usually was something only reserved for royalty. During the period of conflict though, it became more common. It's still technically legal to be married to more than one person."

Kakashi blinks. He had never heard of such thing. Though that didn't seem surprising. Such a practice probably fell out of favor when the political situation of the Five Nations had stabilized.

"How did you hear of this?" He blinks.

Guy smiles and shrugs. "Well it's very youthful to be well versed in history." Another pause. "I found it buried in the archives."

Ah right. Well that explained that. Kakashi was suddenly glad the practice had fallen out of favor. Chaos would have erupted, if it hadn't. He could picture it quite clearly in his mind's eye. Naruto proposing that Team Seven get married! He shudders at the thought.

* * *

About an hour later, Itachi smiles as Hinata wakes up. It was a beautiful thing to have her wake up next to him in such a way, but he didn't how long it would last. That just made every moment more precious though.

Sasuke sighs as he looks at her. "We should go and tell my team that we're heading back to the Leaf." So he had decided to come back after all.

Itachi's heart briefly leapt with joy at that announcement. Only to be replaced with dread. Hinata might not know it yet, but the moment of truth was getting closer and closer.

He should be a good brother and hope for Sasuke's happiness and truly, he did. Well at least a part of him did any way. A very large part, but Itachi didn't believe in lying to himself either. Another part of him was hoping that Hinata would choose him.

"Really?" Hinata beams at Sasuke.

For a moment, the elder Uchiha couldn't quite stamp down the jealousy he felt. The jealousy he felt at seeing Hinata smile at Sasuke in such a way. It was truly as if his brother had given her the world.

Sasuke nods and smiles back. "Yeah." He stretches out slowly like a cat awaking from its nap. "Just let me change into some fresh clothes and we can get going." And with that, his foolish little brother swiftly heads to the bathroom after grabbing an outfit to change into.

"Can you believe it?" She smiles at Itachi. "He's actually agreeing to go with us without a fight."

Yes, he could believe it. Sasuke's love for Hinata apparently could override everything else, even his anxiety at confessing his love to her. After all, Sasuke had no idea that Hinata already knew about his feelings.

Itachi forces himself to smile though. "Yes, we should probably get dressed and go with him." There was no point in delaying the inevitable. One way or another, this love triangle would be resolved.

It didn't take long for them all to get ready. Itachi supposed that was just one of the many benefits of being a ninja. One learned to be ready to depart at a moment's notice. Sometimes without even that much warning.

Sasuke's friends were staying at the same Inn. "Jugo." So it didn't take long to find them and for Sasuke to knock on Jugo's door.

"Morning, Sasuke." The gentle giant smiles at him as he opens the door for them all to come inside. "Karin and Suigetsu are just debating the matter of breakfast."

Upon hearing that, Itachi wasn't entirely certain whether to be amused or afraid .Very, very afraid. Sasuke had told him more than enough about his team for Itachi to realize what _"debating the matter"_ really meant.

"You're such an idiot!" A frying pan goes flying! "You don't have sushi for breakfast!" Karin twitches.

Suigetsu manages to duck, but only just. "Why not?!" He grumbles. "It's not like there is a law against it!"

Oh yes. This was bound to prove highly entertaining. How his brother ever managed to get anything done with such a boisterous team, he had no idea.

"Well first of all, it's not a breakfast food!" Karin twitches. "Secondly, we're in a fucking desert. Where do you think you're going to find sushi here?!"

Well those were both fair points. Though the sword lover was also right. There really was no law against having sushi for breakfast.

"Sorry to interrupt." Hinata calls out softly. "But S-Sasuke has something he would like to say." And just like that, the Taka Members all froze up instantly.

It was like magic really. "Thank you, Hinata." The way they were instantly silenced by her soft plea. "I'm heading back to the Leaf with Itachi and Hinata. If you three want to come with us, you may." Sasuke shrugs casually as if it mattered little whether they did or not.

Difficult. It was difficult to wrap his mind around the fact that his foolish little brother was actually a team leader. This was disturbingly similar to his stint as an ANBU Captain, Itachi muses to himself.

"Well I ordered a custom sword." Suigetsu yawns loudly. "I thought we were going to be sticking around for a couple weeks. So it's not going to be finished for a few days." Uh huh. "That means I'm stuck here until it's done or I'd have to wait for them to ship it to the Leaf."

Karin shakes her head at that. "And I'll have to stay behind to make sure the idiot doesn't accidentally destroy the Sand Village." That was a fair point.

Jugo smiles at Sasuke. It was a rather knowing smile. So it seemed that Sasuke had told his secret to someone else, after all. The gentle giant clearly knew about his brother's feelings for Hinata.

"I'll try to keep them out of trouble." He smiles at Sasuke. "We'll be back before you know it."

"Good." Sasuke smiles gratefully at him. "Well let Gaara know that we decided to leave early and not to worry." And with that, the two Uchiha Brothers quickly left the Sand Village with one Byakugan Princess in tow.

* * *

Several hours later, they arrived in a tiny village. Unbeknownst to Sasuke, it was the same one where Hinata had slept in Itachi's arms. Fortunately, this time they had three available rooms. One for each of them.

"I'm going to get us some food." Itachi smiles at them.

They were currently in Sasuke's room. The three of them were discussing the fastest way to get back to the Leaf. Sasuke was confident that he could save them at least a day's traveling time, but Itachi was a bit wary of the idea.

Not because he didn't trust Sasuke. It was more that he didn't trust himself. After all, he had just gotten out of the hospital not that long ago.

Hinata smiles. "Good idea." Her sweet smile only grows. "Hopefully, they have some cinnamon rolls."

"And tomatoes." Sasuke smirks as Itachi chuckles and swiftly leaves in search of food.

The bluenette laughs at Sasuke's request, but he didn't mind. If anyone else had laughed at him, he probably would have been annoyed. Not her though. Never her.

Itachi was right though. He should tell her how he felt and his brother's timing was not lost on Sasuke. He had deliberately given him an opportunity to tell the Hyuga Heiress how he felt without him overhearing everything.

It was kind of him and the younger Uchiha wasn't going to waste this opportunity. "You know, you didn't have to come all the way out here to find me." He watches Hinata, unsure of how to begin.

"I know." Hinata looks at him with those beautiful bubble eyes of hers. "We wanted to though." She bites her lower lip as she stares at him intently. "We both missed you."

He would have preferred it ,if the woman had said **she** missed him. While Sasuke didn't doubt the sincerity of her words, he wanted them to be more _personal_ than that. It sounded like something a friend would say.

He shakes his head. "I was going to come back after the hospital wing was finished." It might have made him a masochist, but Sasuke knew that he could never fully stay away from her.

"Good." Hinata nods, seeming not sure what to say either.

He pauses and adds. "And you comforted me, during my nightmare." She didn't have to do that. Hinata didn't have to share a bed with him. "You've always looked out for me in your own quiet way." His Angel of Mercy.

Hinata's face turn a rosy shade of pink. The younger Uchiha wasn't entirely sure if she was blushing or if it was just sunburn. Either way, he was going to press on. It was too late to turn back now.

"I've tried." She smiles at him. "Though I know that you've done the same for me."

Sasuke wasn't sure how she knew that, but he didn't want to lose his nerve. "I've done my best, but I'm not sure that I've always succeeded." He pauses. "Hinata, you're very precious to me."

Hinata nods and the rosy hue to her skin spreads. Blushing. She was blushing then. He smiles and takes her hand in his own. That was probably a good sign, right?

"You're very precious to me too and you have." She whispers.

Her eyes were looking anywhere, but at his face though. Sasuke didn't careful that, but he pawns that off to her natural shyness. He smiles at that thought and cups her face, until she was looking at him.

"Not really." He had wasted so much time. "Itachi's right about a lot of things." He was right about time, assumptions, and that he should tell Hinata how he felt. "I want to do the right thing, but I'm not really sure that I can."

Hinata looks at him. "I feel the same way." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "About doing the right thing."

He smiles. If she wasn't sure what the right thing was, then that made him feel a little bit better. "I just have to know. You don't have to answer now." He brushes his forehead against hers. "But I'll never be able to live with myself, if I don't at least try."

Sasuke didn't give her a chance to reply verbally, before he brushes his lips against hers. He'd never actually kissed a woman before. Hell, he had never actually kissed a person on purpose before, but that wasn't going to stop him anyway.

 _Soft._ Her lips were so soft. They reminded him of rose petals, he decides. Seeing that she wasn't protesting, he determines it was probably alright to deepen the kiss.

So he did. "Sasuke." She whispers against his lips.

At first, he was too distracted by the taste of her kiss for it to register. She tasted like watermelon. He barely realized that she had called his name, before the bluenette begins to shyly kiss back.

Neither of them were experienced kisses, but in his mind that made it all the better. They could both learn together. He just never knew kissing could be like this. That that the simple act of pressing lips against another person could result in such bliss.

He was about to experiment further, maybe by adding tongue when she stops him. "Sasuke, wait." Damn it!

Obviously, he had gone too far. She was in love with Itachi. Not him. Why had he ever expected anything else?!

"I'm sorry." He shakes his head." I s-shouldn't have done that." Now, the bluenette probably felt tremendously guilty. "I'm the one who initiated it. So you weren't being unfaithful to Itachi, even if you aren't together yet."

Would she consider that cheating? They had slept in separate rooms and Itachi had told him that he hadn't really made his feelings for her known. That he wanted Sasuke to have a chance to tell her.

Hinata bites her lower lip as she eyes him nervously. "You're right." She lets out a shaky breath. "We aren't together and you did start it, but I don't know what I should do. I don't want to hurt either of you or worse, both of you."

Both of them? How could she hurt both of them? Oh. Maybe, she didn't care for either of them romantically. It was possible that Hinata just viewed them as friends and she had merely gotten caught up in the moment when she kissed Itachi.

"Hinata, I'll be honest." He sighs and braces himself. "I know that Itachi has feelings for you and I want you to choose me and I know that he feels the same way, even if he won't admit it." The damn martyr! "But mostly, I want you to be happy and you'd hurt me far worse by lying to me than you ever could by being honest."

He didn't want Hinata to "love" him out of pity. Sasuke would rather have her be with Itachi or someone else entirely than that. His Byakugan Princess as Itachi called her, deserved to be with the man she loved. Whoever that might be.

It would kill him to see her with someone else. He'd find a way to deal with it though. Anything was better than a relationship based off of _pity_.

"And I'll be honest with you." Hinata fidgets with her hands. "When we were in the hospital, I thought that it was Itachi who had feelings for me." A nervous quirk of hers. "So when he kissed me, I kissed back because it felt good. I had no idea that you had seen until he showed me the letter." She adverts her gaze. "I didn't know that you felt that way about me."

Itachi had showed her the letter?! Well, he probably should have expected that in hindsight. Some notion about honor. Itachi would view it as a matter of honor not to hide the truth from Hinata and probably thought in some demented way, he was helping him!

"I didn't want you to know." He shakes his head. "And if you read the letter, you know why that is." Sasuke caresses her cheek. "You didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who waited too long."

Hinata shakes her head. "You're wrong." She pauses. "I don't know if you waited too long and if anyone is guilty of anything, it's me."

Sasuke tilts his head to the side incredulously. He didn't understand how Hinata had done anything wrong in this situation. Worrying about hurting someone's feelings wasn't wrong.

"What do you mean?" What could she have possibly done wrong?

Hinata dares herself to look up at him and Sasuke knew at that moment that small action had taken every ounce of courage the young woman possessed. "I have feelings for the both of you. Caring for two men in that way at once, especially brothers…is very wrong, but I do." Oh.

Sasuke blinks. Whatever he had expected. That hadn't been it. He had expected Hinata to confess that she was in love with Itachi or perhaps someone else. That or she would reject both of them to avoid "ruining" their brotherly relationship, but she liked them both?!

He had no idea how to respond to that. Hinata returned his feelings, but she also liked Itachi. For the very first time in his life, Sasuke Uchiha had absolutely no idea what to say. He suddenly felt like he had been struck mute.

Clearly, he had to say _something_ though! "It's not wrong, Hinata." He sighs and caresses her cheek more. "You're just a very loving person. Perhaps, it's only natural that you would have so much love in your heart, that you were bound to feel a connection with more than one person."

Hinata looks guilty, but she nods quietly. She really did have feelings for them both. This wasn't just about mere lust, he knew the bluenette better than that. The Hyuga Heiress truly couldn't decide. At least, not yet.

"I'm sorry." She whispers and Sasuke shakes his head in response.

This wasn't her fault. "Your not in an easy decision, but we'll respect whatever you decide." If he had acted sooner, maybe she wouldn't have seen Itachi that way. "If nothing else, Hinata…you're very precious to both of us and at the very least, we can still enjoy our bonds as friends and comrades. I would be lying though, if I said that I didn't want more than that."


	17. Chapter 17

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I know a lot of readers have been eagerly awaiting for the lemonade stand to officially open for business. So in light of that, this chapter is going to offer our first official lime. ;) With that in mind, I hope you all enjoy this one!

 **Chapter Notation:** I decided to grant one of my regular reader's requests about how Hinata confesses her fantasies to the Uchiha Brothers. It's intended mostly to be silly and sneaky. So I do hope that's people read it in the spirit that it's intended because that scene is something of a gamble. It's very much a hit or miss situation. Anyway, happy reading.

Chapter 17

The next day, Itachi knew that something had happened. Neither Sasuke, nor Hinata were talking to him much. They were far more focused on getting back to the Leaf than on him or even talking to each other.

"Hinata, why don't you scout the area and we'll set up camp?" He smiles at her. "It's unlikely you'll see anything that could pose an actual threat, better too cautious than not cautious enough."

Hinata nods and quickly darts off. Perfect. That meant that he could have some quality time with his foolish little brother and get to the bottom of all this.

"You told her." It wasn't a question.

Sasuke nods and Itachi felt his heart sink. Had his brother been rejected or had Hinata returned his feelings? He wasn't entirely certain which was the worse outcome.

The younger Uchiha begins setting up the tents. "I told her." Probably to give him something to do and an excuse to take an extra moment or two longer than necessary to answer Itachi.

"What did she say?" Itachi pauses. "The two of you are not acting like lovers, but you're not acting like a man who had his heartbroken either." He couldn't make heads or tails of the situation.

Sasuke was almost never one to hide his feelings. The only exception seemed to be for Hinata. Which was probably why Itachi had suddenly had no way to read his brother in this situation.

That thought disturbed him. For all their lives, Itachi had known what Sasuke would do in any given situation. Whether Sasuke loved or hated him, Itachi had always known. That wasn't the case now though.

Sasuke looks away from him. "She said that she has feelings for both of us." Itachi blinks. "That I'm precious to her, but so are you." Whatever he had been expecting, that hadn't been it.

He probably should have known though. Hinata cared enough about Sasuke to chase after him and she had kissed him back. The woman was obviously conflicted.

"And how do you feel about that?" Itachi raises an eyebrow.

Sasuke quickly puts up a tent. "I'm not sure." He sighs as though debating how to answer that very important question. "I didn't expect her to see me that way, but I'm glad that she does."

Obviously. Though it was equally clear that his brother didn't know what to do about Hinata's feelings for Itachi. Not that the elder Uchiha could entirely blame him. It was throwing him off balance as well.

"You're less happy that she sees me in the same light though." Itachi sighs.

Sasuke nods as he eyes Itachi warily. "I know it sound selfish, but I am." It seemed as though his brother now viewed him as a cobra that might strike at any moment. "And I know you feel the same way."

 _Unorthodox_. A rather unorthodox solution was forming in Itachi's mind. Something that might satisfy all parties involved, but it was a gamble.

"I dislike forcing her to choose." Itachi admits.

Upon hearing this, Sasuke nods again and watches him more. "So do I." They both knew the truth, it wasn't fair to place that sort of burden on her.

Presently, Hinata was almost destined to break one or both of their hearts. Something that the Byakugan Princess obviously didn't want to do. No matter who "won", everyone would feel guilty.

"So I propose a compromise." This might get him Chidoried.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "A compromise?" If it worked though, it would be worth it.

He had to approach this very delicately though. More likely than not, Itachi knew that Sasuke wouldn't be pleased with his suggestion. Well at least not initially.

"She has feelings for both of us." Itachi begins tentatively and Sasuke nods encouragingly. "And we have feelings for her." Again, another nod. "So if she were agreeable to the idea, we both be with her."

 _Thud!_ Itachi blinks upon hearing that sound and looks around for the source of it. To his amusement and concern, it was Sasuke. Sasuke had fainted.

"Maybe, I should have asked him to sit down first?" Itachi muses to himself as he checks to make sure the fall hadn't hurt Sasuke. "Well thank goodness that he's always been so thick headed." He chuckles in relief, once he determines that Sasuke was indeed okay.

* * *

Hiashi charges into Kakashi's Office. This had gone on quite long enough. He was entitled to answers!

"Hiashi, it's good to see you." Kakashi chuckles as he looks up from his book. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

To what did he owe the pleasure?! He knew damn well what he owed the pleasure to! The fact that this man was pretending otherwise was utterly infuriating!

In hindsight, the Hyuga Patriarch should have expected this reaction though. The CopyCat Ninja had a habit of feigning cheerfulness and a casual manner to disarm his opponents or to soothe his allies.

"My daughter." He twitches. "I want to know where Hinata is."

If anyone knew where his eldest daughter had wandered off to, it would be the Hokage. Of course, he knew in general where she had gone. The bluenette had followed Itachi Uchiha off into the wilderness to find Sasuke.

That just showed that he was right to be worried. Hinata must have taken complete leave of her senses! Why on Earth would she think such a venture was a good idea?!

Kakashi closes his book and sighs. "According to some of my ANBU, she was spotted in the Sand with Itachi and Sasuke." He shrugs as if trying to reassure Hiashi that all was well. "And it appears they are on their way back to the Leaf."

Well good! At least he knew that Hinata was safe. Well as safe as she could be when traveling with two fully grown men! Men who used to be criminals at that!

"Good." When that wayward daughter of his got back, she was going to get an earful! "I'm glad to hear that. Very glad." Was Hinata trying to give him a heart attack?!

"I'm certain you are." Kakashi smiles serenely. "Would you like to get in on the betting pool?"

The betting pool? What on Earth were they betting on now? It seemed like there was always some sort of bet going on?

Honestly, would it kill the ninjas of the Leaf Village to be more professional? It was bad enough that Lady Tsunade had a gambling habit, but now the vice seemed to be spreading!

He rubs his temples, feeling a migraine coming on. "I highly doubt that I will be inclined to participate in such unsavory activities." Though curiosity was getting the better of him. "I'm also likely to regret t his, but what is this betting pool about?"

Kakashi smiles at him. That wasn't a good sign. Hiashi knew what that smile meant. It meant that the silver haired ninja was up to some sort of mischief. Which almost always never ended well for him!

"It's a betting pool for how long it will be before Sasuke and Hinata are romantically involved and when they'll make you a grandfather." He smiles at him.

 _ **THUD!**_ Hiash Hyuga was not a man who was often prone to fainting, but that was too much for him to process. These people seriously though that Sasuke Uchiha was going to be his future Son-In-Law?!

"Oh Dear." Kakashi sighs as he gets up and checks on Hiashi. "Thank goodness that we just got a new carpet." Hopefully, the carpet softened his fall. "Perhaps, I should have told him to sit down first."

* * *

A few minutes later, Sasuke wakes up and looks around in confusion. What the Hell had just happened and why was he laying in a tent now with his brother hovering over him?!

"I'm sorry for that." Itachi sighs and shakes his head. "I had no idea that you were going to faint on me." He had fainted. "It's understandable really. I know that my solution is rather unorthodox."

Rather unorthodox?! His brother was out of his mind! Unorthodox was Naruto's battle strategy. This was, well this was something else entirely!

Sasuke tries his best not to gape at his brother. "There's no way that she'd ever agree to such a thing." His Angel was _**far**_ too innocent to agree to something like this!

He knew what Itachi was asking though. His brother wasn't just asking for one night of shared passion. Sasuke had heard about threesomes, of course. That would have been outrageous enough. No. Itachi was asking for a relationship.

"Well humor me for the moment." Itachi nods at him. Trying to placate him. "Let us say for the sake of argument that she was agreeable to the idea." There was no way that she was going to go along with this! "What would your thoughts on the matter be?"

His thoughts on the matter?! Well Sasuke didn't know. He'd never really thought about "sharing" a lover before.

Jealousy would obviously be an issue. Though if he could do it with anyone, it would probably be Itachi. What if it became obvious that she preferred one over the other when it came to intimacy though? What if they started competing with each other?!

"There are a millions ways that such an attempt could go wrong." Sasuke's eyes narrow at Itachi. "And I think you very well know that."

Itachi shrugs as if it were perfectly natural to discuss such things. "She has feelings for both of us and we adore her." He pauses and adds. "It's better than forcing her to choose. If she chooses, one or both of us will get our hearts broken and she will feel guilty."

That was true. Hinata would feel guilty and he didn't want to put her through that. Still, could he really do it? Could he share the woman he loved more than anything with another man?

"For the sake of argument, lets say that I was willing to participate in this insanity." His heart was pounding in his chest. "How would we go about asking her?"

He couldn't imagine a scenario in which his angel didn't faint or wasn't disgusted at the idea. For a modest woman like Hinata, this would likely seem like the ultimate taboo and in many ways, it certain was.

That or at least it would make the list of Sexual Taboos. Idly, Sasuke wonders if there actually was such a list and who created it? How were the rankings determined? Oh wait. He was getting off track here.

 **Warning Sneaky Scene**

"Well we would have to make her feel relaxed." Itachi nods sagely. "Most likely a few drinks would be ideal." He wanted to get her drunk?! "Sasuke, don't look at me in such an accusing fashion. I wasn't suggesting that we have her drink to the point where she takes complete leave of her senses!"

Uh huh. So Itachi didn't want to get her thoroughly intoxicated. Just tipsy. The younger Uchiha suddenly had a very good idea where his brother was going with this and he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"You want the alcohol to loosen her tongue. Just enough so her natural shyness won't inhibit her from telling us how she truly feels." Itachi nods at Sasuke in confirmation. "But not enough that she can blame any of her actions or words on the sake." Again, another nod.

Well it probably wasn't very moral. It was sneaky and unethical, but it wasn't completely horrible. As long as they didn't take advantage of her or have her drink too much, it was alright. Kinda.

 **End of Sneaky Scene**

Sasuke sighs. "Alright. We'll do it." It was fighting dirty, but for Hinata he was willing to do almost anything.

"Excellent." Itachi smiles. "Don't look so guilty. We're merely helping our Byakugan Princess to express her feelings more openly." Uh huh.

* * *

Later night, Hinata was sitting around a campfire and eating with the Uchiha Brothers. It was an awkward experience to say the least. Both of them knew, that Hinata had feelings for them to some degree.

She'd have to choose one or neither of them and that thought terrified her. "Hinata, would you like some sake?" Itachi smiles at her as he pours a glass and offers it to her.

The Hyuga Heiress rarely drank and when she did, it was almost never to excess. Tonight, she would make an exception though. The bluenette dearly needed something to calm her nerves and if sake offered her that, so be it.

"Yes, thank you." She smiles and sips on it.

Sasuke smiles as he takes a gulp of his own drink as well. "We'll likely be back in the Leaf in a few days." He glances at Itachi. "And don't try to push yourself too hard or too fast. We can stop, if you need us to stop."

Hinata nods in agreement. The last thing she wanted was for Itachi to end up in the hospital again because they had pushed him too much.

"I'll keep that in mind." Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "Well Hinata, how did you like the Sand Village?"

She giggles at the question. "Well it was very hot." The sake must already be getting to her, Hinata decides. "It is a desert…" Though she wasn't going to worry about that.

If Itachi and Sasuke wanted to engage in casual conversation, she was more than willing to humor them. Of course, that didn't change the fact that they were only delaying the inevitable. Sooner or later, a decision would have to be made.

For now though, she would allow herself to enjoy the pleasant company. Hinata would indulge in small talk. And, well maybe she'd have a second glass of sake.

* * *

Before she knew it, a couple hours had flown by. The Moon was now high in the sky and the way the moonlight illuminated the forms of her traveling companions was almost ethereal. There really as something beautiful about them. She had never thought men could be beautiful before Hinata took a closer look at them, but now there was no denying it.

"Hinata, Sasuke informed me that he…made his feelings known towards you." Itachi looks at her.

She wasn't proud of it, but Hinata squeaks. Well, maybe she could blame that on the sake, but still. It looked like the moment had finally come. Maybe, she shouldn't have had two glasses of sake, after all.

She looks at her feet and blushes. "Oh." What more could she say?

Itachi gets behind her and smiles as he wraps his arms around her waist. "You needn't look so guilty." She didn't?

Of course, she did! Hinata had somehow gone and developed feelings for two men. Two brothers! It was one thing to be attracted to them, but it was another to imagine both of them as her lovers!

"Itachi is right." Sasuke saunters over to her.

There was a good reason why their hospital room had been called the Lions' Den, Hinata muses to herself. Not for the first time, she was reminded of how much the Uchiha Brothers really did act like lions. Everything about them was beautiful in a predatory way. Just like the great cats that they had been nicknamed after, even their walk.

She swallows hard. "He is?" Hinata watches him in confusion.

"Sasuke and I have been discussing the matter at length." Itachi assures her as he bushes her hair off to the side. "And we believe that we have come up with an agreeable solution." He presses a soft kiss along her now exposed neck.

The kiss felt good, but Hinata's eyes widen. What was he doing kissing her with Sasuke right there?! What was going on?!

"An a-agreeable solution?" She didn't know what to do!

Sasuke nods and caresses her cheek. "You don't need to look so panicked." His touch was so gentle and soothing. "At first, I thought Itachi's idea was insane, but now I see it has merit."

"We know that you have feelings for the both of us and we have feelings for you." Itachi continues kissing her neck, making Hinata mew. "So there's no real reason to make you choose. Sasuke and I don't mind the three of us being together."

Wait. What?! They both wanted to be with her at the same time?! The very thought made her cheeks burn bright red.

"I'd rather share you with him than not have you at all." Sasuke nods. "And this way, if something ever happens to either of us, you wouldn't be alone."

How would that work though? Would she stay with one for one night and then the other the next? Wouldn't jealousy be a concern?

"H-How would we all be together?" She dares herself to whisper.

Itachi smirks against the curve of her neck. "Well there are many ways that we could go about such a thing. Sasuke and I were hoping for a relationship amongst equals though." His hands glide underneath her shirt, over her stomach, and finally settle on her lace clad breasts. "We could show you, if you like."

"W-What?!" Hinata didn't know what to say.

Apparently, Sasuke did though. He brushes her lips against hers in a way that sent shivers down her spine. The good kind.

"It's alright." Sasuke murmurs, trying to soothe her. "We don't mind. Consider this…a trial run." He pauses and adds. "If you don't like it, we won't ever speak of it again."

Itachi nods in agreement. "And you can't honestly tell us that you haven't thought about it." Well she had, but Hinata had never dared to dream that she would admit it out loud.

She honestly, didn't know what to say. What could she possibly say to all that? Could Hinata really admit to her fantasies?

"Thought about what it would be like to be with the two of us. We won't make love to you tonight. Not unless you ask." He nips her neck playfully. "But we'll give you a good idea what it would be like, should you choose to be with both of us."

"A-Alright." Hinata blushes and nods shyly. "We can try it and I h-have thought about the two of you that way." They were offering to be with her. "More than once." The least that she could do was to be honest.

 **Warning Lime**

She blushes at her confession. Hinata couldn't believe that she had just admitted to fantasizing about the two of them in that way. Multiple times.

"Tell us more." Sasuke looks at her intently. "I want to know everything that goes on in that beautiful mind of yours."

Her blush was likely never going away, Hinata decides. "I thought about Itachi kissing me. His hands all over me." The bluenette lets out a shaky breath. "His mouth, his tongue, and everything else touching me everywhere." Her face was likely going to be stained forever red after this night. Her blush would be permanent.

Itachi smiles and caresses her cheek. "And what about Sasuke?" So confidently and reassuring. "What did you think about when you fantasized about him?"

Sasuke smirks at this. He had sulked slightly at her confession about Itachi, but that was only to be expected. Jealousy was normal in a situation like this. That was perhaps the only normal thing about this entire evening.

"I thought about him on the farm." She blushes more. "In the stables." The Hyuga woman couldn't believe she was telling them this. "Shirtless at first. Kissing me and taking me hard and fast against the wall."

Both Uchiha Brothers seemed to approve of her answer. Sasuke smirks, but Itachi was the one who responded first. He responded in a way that took her breath away.

She shivers as she feels Itachi's breath hot her neck as his hands glide along her breasts sensually. "You should embrace such thoughts." He nips her ear lightly. " I know that we certainly would welcome you doing so."

Hinata nods dumbly. "I'll keep that in mind." What more could she say when she had just bared her very soul before both of them?

He pauses for a moment and then continues on. "Seeing as Sasuke has been waiting the longest to have you in his arms, I believe it's only fair to allow him to take the lead in this particular case." He smirks with satisfaction. "And I, of course, shall offer him instruction in this matter."

There was something very slow and deliberate about the way the elder Uchiha's hands were caressing her breasts. They might have been covered by white lace, but Hinata felt like she might as well have been naked.

"How kind of you." Sasuke rolls his eyes and then smiles at Hinata. "Though I really don't need his instruction and if you feel uncomfortable at any time, we can stop. Okay?" He looks at her, waiting for her permission.

Permission to do what exactly, she wasn't sure. Still, Hinata slowly nods her head in consent. There was no going back now. Not when she had already confessed to her fantasies and Itachi was touching her so intimately while Sasuke was gazing at her with undisguised adoration.

"Okay." She blushes more and nods.

"Just relax." Itachi purrs soothingly in her ear. "And let us make you feel good."

Sasuke nods in agreement at that and kisses her. God, it felt good to kiss her again. He didn't even mind the fact that Itachi was watching him do it.

If anything, that just made it all the more exciting and there were some unexpected benefits of sharing. While he kissed Hinata, Itachi was working on sliding off their princess's pants and lingerie.

Hmm. A white lacy thong today, it seemed. The pants were gone much to his delight. Her beautiful long legs were on full display as was that that deceptively innocent looking undergarment.

"Alright." Hinata returns Sasuke's kiss as she wraps her arms around his neck. "I like it when you kiss me."

That sent a jolt of white hot lust straight to his cock. He was going to need an ice cold bath in a nearby stream soon at this rate, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was proving that he was a good choice for her.

With that thought in mind, he deepens the kiss. Savoring the sweet taste of her lips against his and glides his tongue along hers curiously. Itachi kissed with tongue. He could do it too!

Hinata moans into the kiss as it grows more and more passionate. Sasuke really as like a wildfire. His desire consumed everything in its path. She almost didn't notice that she was half naked until she felt the cool night air against her exposed skin and blushes heavily into the kiss.

"There's no need to feel self-conscious." Itachi assures, after Sasuke breaks the kiss. "You're beautiful everywhere." And promptly proceeds to tug off her shirt and her bra. "Isn't she, Sasuke?"

"Yeah." Sasuke growls in approval as he captures her lips in a heated kiss. "The most beautiful thing that I've ever seen."

Hinata moans even more wantonly into the kiss as Itachi feels his own excitement mount. She was completely naked and sitting in his lap while Sasuke kissed her as if the world was about to end and began fondling her breasts.

Rougher than his own touch, Itachi knew that for certain. Though he couldn't blame the other man entirely. He had waited so long and that was just his excitement kicking in. Besides, judging by the now rather lewd moans that Hinata was making into the kiss, she wasn't particularly adverse to Sasuke's more firm touches.

"That she is." Itachi smirks as he toys with a nipple in one hand while his other snakes south. "You like it when Sasuke kisses you. Tell us what else you like." To the paradise hidden between her thighs. "Do you like it when we touch your breasts or when I touch you here?" He caresses her there.

Hinata gasps and moans. "Y-Yes, I like it." The moans were music to Itachi's ears and judging by Sasuke's ruby red eyes, they were also music to his brother's.

"Good because if you allow it, we'll be doing all those things and more with great frequency." He kisses her shoulder as he rubs her clit.

Sasuke watches excitedly as he moves down to explore more. He flicks his tongue against a perky nipple experimentally. It reminded him of a rosebud really.

The result was immediate and gratifying. "S-Sasuke!" She moaned his name. So he does it again and again to each breast before taking one into his mouth and sucking lightly on it.

He liked the way she moaned and panted, leaning against him. Like she couldn't get enough of him. That and seeing Itachi touch her so intimately was in some bizarre way arousing.

"Such a sweet princess, already so ready for us." Itachi smirks as he glances at Sasuke. "Do you want Sasuke to taste you? To make love to with his mouth?"

Hinata's breath hitches at the suggestion as she squirms against Itachi's fingers. It was one thing for Itachi to touch her down there. He couldn't actually see her, but to be licked…well Sasuke would see everything.

She was already so wet though. Half mad with desire. So she nods meekly. "Y-Yes!" There was no way she could possibly refuse more of this feeling.

"Good girl." Itachi purrs with approval as he looks at Sasuke. "Start off slow and make sure not to neglect her clit. Women enjoy it when you touch them there and then you can go faster and put your tongue inside her."

Sasuke gives Itachi a dirty look that almost made Hinata laugh as he moves down and nudges her knees apart. He was laying down on his stomach with his head between her thighs. The sight made Hinata's heart race.

Soon enough, his tongue was slowly gliding against her womanhood. "You taste so sweet everywhere." He purrs with approval as he rubs her clit and licks her slowly and lazily.

Hinata moans and squirms. "Feels so good!" It was impossible to hold back with Sasuke's tongue teasing her so wonderfully and Itachi kissing her neck as he fondled her breasts and squeezed her ass.

"You seem to be performing admirably given that it's your first time touching a woman in this way, Sasuke." Itachi praises him as he rolls a nipple between his thumbs.

"Itachi, just shut up!" Sasuke makes a rather rude gesture with his hand before he turns his attention back to Hinata.

Much to her delight. "Ah! Ah!" Oh Gods and Goddesses! She had never felt like this before. "S-So close!" The feeling of Itachi's hands on her and Sasuke's tongue was indescribably good.

Gods and Goddesses, she was beautiful. The way her hair was draped over her shoulders and ample breasts reminded Sasuke of a waterfall. Her eyes were shimmering underneath the moonlight like something straight out of a fairytale and her soft creamy white skin was now adorned with a rosy red blush. A blush that extended from her cheeks to her breasts.

Those gorgeous breasts that he had so often fantasized about. The same breast that she was actually allowing him to touch now. It was all so perfect. Her moans. Her sweet taste. Everything.

"There's no need to hold back." Itachi licks her ear. "Cum for us."

He reaches down again and slides two fingers inside her while Sasuke continues licking her. The woman in their arms was close and he knew that. It was best to give her the release that she was so desperately seeking.

Never before had he responded to a lover in such a way. Itachi didn't think that he had ever been this aroused in his entire life and neither had Sasuke. Perhaps, that was part of the appeal though. Was it possible that he possessed a latent exhibitionist streak that this situation had brought it to the forefront?

Possibly, though the way she arched and moaned against both of them was nothing short of magnificent. "I-Itachi! S-Sasuke!" And it was even more beautiful to watch her as she tumbled over the edge into pure bliss.

He smirks at the sight. The way she panted. The way her eyes were alit with sensual pleasure and how her breasts heaved as she tried to catch her breath. Glorious. Simply glorious he thinks to himself as he removes his fingers and brings them to his lips, sucking lightly on them.

Sasuke shoots him a confused look. "Foolish little brother, you aren't the only one who wants to taste her." He chuckles. "I can see why he was so eager to please you. You taste exquisite." He smiles at Hinata as Sasuke pulls away from her womanhood and looks at her expectantly.

 **End of Lime**

Hinata blushes as she pants. She couldn't believe that she had done that. That she had allowed them both to touch her so intimately and at the same time. Not only that, but it had felt so good. So right.

"I believe that we've given you plenty to ponder." Itachi smiles and kisses her cheek. "Think it over, but do factor into consideration that is only the beginning of the pleasure we can give you, should you choose to be with us."

Sasuke nods and caresses her cheek. "It's your decision, but I do love you." He pauses and stares at her with one ruby red eye and one lavender one. "I love you enough to share you. I'd rather it be the three of us than none of us."

Hinata nods dumbly as she tries to will her heart to stop pounding. Could she really do it? Could she have both of them? And if she did decide to pursue this relationship, what would the village say? Oh Gods and Goddesses, what would her _**father**_ say?!

"I'll t-think about it." She mumbles.

Itachi smiles at her. "Good. That's all that we want." He kisses her forehead. "For you to honestly consider it."

Sasuke nods and caresses her cheek again. "And we'll respect your decision either way." Hinata nods in understanding as she wonders what she had just gotten herself into?!

One way or another, she had to decide. There were now more possibilities than ever before and one of them would scandalize the _entire_ Five Great Nations, if anyone ever found out! This was **not** going to be an easy decision to make!


	18. Chapter 18

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Another lime is on the table for those of you interested and if anyone has any specific kinds of lemonade they prefer, feel free to let me know. The lemonade stand will be opening soon. Possibly next chapter.

Chapter 18

 _Beautiful._ She was beautiful. So beautiful that even Itachi acknowledged that fact freely, Sasuke thinks to himself as he watches her.

"Really, Sasuke?" Itachi shakes his head as he strides over to the other Uchiha. "You're watching her as she's bathing?"

Well yeah. It wasn't **really** spying, Sasuke reasoned. After all, the lovely water nymph in question had allowed them to disrobe her completely only the day before. Hinata had also allowed them to do a lot more than that, he smirks at the thought.

"Yes, I am." He nods sagely. "This way if anything happens, I'll be right there to protect her when she's in such a vulnerable state." Yeah. He could go with that.

Itachi might buy it. It was true after all. He _would_ protect her with his life, if something happened!

Of course, that didn't mean that he wasn't going to enjoy the ethereal view that was being presented to him. There was no harm in looking. Besides, who could blame him? She was _perfect_.

 **Warning Lime**

As an Uchiha, Sasuke had always felt a more natural connection with fire. Though there was something undeniably sensual about the way her soaked dark locks clung to her creamy white skin.

"Of course, you're merely standing watch." Itachi chuckles and shakes his head in amusement. "To ensure her safety."

She was currently bathing in an oasis they had found. The water only came up to her hips. Which meant that Sasuke was treated to the sensual view of her bare breasts, her slender waist, and the curve of her hips before the water mockingly obscured the rest of his view.

To him, she looked like an actual water nymph. He would have said Siren, but Hinata wasn't cruel enough to lead men to their deaths. Though if she was, he have happily followed her to his own demise. Just for one more night, like the last with her.

Sasuke nods his head as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course." He knew that Itachi probably didn't believe him though.

Not when Sasuke feels one of his eyes bleed ruby red and the other transform from obsidian black into an unnatural shade of lavender. Damn it! His own biology was working against him!

Itachi knew as well as he did what an activated Sharingan meant in this context. Any feigned notion of chivalry was immediately unveiled for the sorry excuse that it was. Just an excuse to look at her.

Unbeknownst to them, Hinata had her Byakugan activated. She always did when she was in potentially dangerous situations like this. So she knew that she was being watched.

The thought made her blush. "Don't be a coward." She bites her lower lip nervously.

They had already seen _everything_ anyway. They had already touched her _everywhere_ only the night before. Being bashful now was well pointless and she knew that on some level, but Hinata couldn't help it.

Still, if she was going to consider this she had to be sure that they could really do it. "Are you just going to stand there watching me all day or are you going to join me?" She turns her head back facing them as she decides just to do it.

She needed to know. Hinata needed to know, if the Uchiha Brothers were really capable of doing what they had offered to do. If they could really, both be with her at once without it ruining their brotherly bond.

"Well we'd be rather foolish to reject that generous invitation." Itachi smirks as he approaches the water. "Which means that Sasuke might." It was like watching an actual lion stalk its prey. "We both know how incredibly foolish he can be."

Sasuke scoffs at Itachi's suggestion. "Bastard." And with that being said, he dashes towards the water as well.

Hinata blushes as she watches them swiftly disrobe. She had seen them mostly naked before, but the bubbles and water had always hidden the more _intimate areas._

 _Those bubbles could hide a lot,_ Hinata notes. It was wrong to compare, but it seemed like they share more in common than just their excellent bone structure. In THAT particular area, the two brothers were very evenly matched.

Itachi smiles as he makes his way to her first. "You can look as much as you like." He chuckles at her as he wraps his arms around her waist. "Though I wouldn't have expected a medic to blush so much at the sight of naked men."

That was probably a fair point, but Itachi and Sasuke were different. None of the other men at the hospital that she had examined, had ever touched her in such wonderfully wicked ways as these two had.

"Itachi, don't tease her." Sasuke smiles as he joins them in the water.

Hinata could feel him embrace her from behind. She was now standing between the two of them. She could see Itachi's beautiful face and his bare chest and she could feel the warmth of Sasuke's skin against her own. It was equal parts exhilarating and intimidating.

"I wasn't teasing her." Itachi smiles as he caresses her cheek. "I find her shyness rather endearing." Though the smile soon transforms into a sexy smirk. "However, I _could_ tease her, if our Byakugan Princess desires such a thing."

He had taunted Sasuke about watching her, but the truth of the matter was that he had been as well. How could she not when she was frolicking about in the water naked for all the world to see?

Sasuke kisses the soft curve of her neck and caresses her shoulders. "Ignore him." Ignore him?! "Did you sleep well?" Hmpf!

"W-Well you are very good at teasing me." Hinata blushes more as she leans back against Sasuke's adoring touches. "And yes, I slept very well."

Not for the first time, Itachi notes there was something beautiful about watching the two of them together. Apparently, not only did he have a hidden exhibitionist streak, but he was also something of a voyeur.

Who knew that such an innocent princess would bring out his more deviant side with such astonishing ease? The strangest thing about the entire situation was that Hinata didn't even have to try. There was no guile to her. She was certainly not trying to seduce either of them, but the Hyuga woman had. She had done it as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Good." Sasuke smiles at her answer and bestows more kisses along her neck and shoulders. "You know, you could wake up every day like that." Apparently, much to Hinata's delight, if those soft sighs of pleasure were anything to go by. "In our arms."

That was indeed what had happened. Somehow, the three of them had ended up sharing a tent and the Hyuga woman had ended up nestled between them. Just as she had on that night that Sasuke had been tormented by that nightmare. Only this time, there was no nightmare. No inner demon to face. Merely the contentment that being together provided them with.

"That does sound nice." Hinata blushes more as she wraps her arms around Itachi's neck and lightly kisses him. "Very nice." He smiles and returns the kiss.

Sasuke felt a flash of jealousy at the kiss, but it was only natural. She was facing Itachi. It was just easier and he couldn't really complain with his own view.

As he was debating whether or not he should be jealous, he felt something touch him. Under the water. Something touch him rather intimately.

Something soft that was now stroking him. "Ah!" Hinata was playing with his cock! "H-Hinata!" And it felt incredible!

Itachi breaks the kiss and chuckles. "Who knew that you were so delightfully sneaky?" He smiles at Hinata as he caresses her breasts. "Sliding your hand under the water like that to play with his cock. Such an unexpected seductress."

Itachi's words only dimly registered in Sasuke's mind as he bucks into Hinata's soft hands. Her skin felt like silk and her touch so gentle and elegant at the same time.

Like most men, he had experimented with self-gratification. "You both made me feels so good last night, that I t-thought it was only fair that I do the same." It had never felt this good though!

"I encourage you to indulge in these impulses as often as you want then." Itachi smirks as he captures her lips in a series a heated kisses. "I know that Sasuke seems to like it when you do." He glances his brother slyly. "Tell me, Sasuke, how does it feel to be touched by a woman in this way?"

He would have smacked Itachi for taunting him about his "innocence," if it didn't feel so fucking good!"Really good." He slides his hands over her womanhood underneath the water, wanting to touch her as well.

Hinata moans as she felt Sasuke's hands teasing her, stroking him faster as she returns Itachi's kiss. Shyly, she does the same to Itachi. The Hyuga woman rubs Itachi's erection underneath the water.

Itachi groans and thrusts into her hand. "Perfect." And he wasn't lying.

The feeling of her hands on him was nothing short of magnificent. Wanting to return the favor, he lowers his head and wraps his mouth around a nipple. Sucking and licking at it roughly, causing her to moan.

At the moment, she was the embodiment of everything he loved about the feminine form. Her softness. Her warmth. Her affectionate nature. Her touch. Everything about the moment was utterly divine.

"We could have this everyday." Sasuke kisses her ear as he pumps his fingers in and out of her. "We could make love every night until we fall asleep and wake up in each other's arms." Hinata moans as she writhes against his touch. "And make love again."

It was a tempting thought and when did Sasuke learn how to do that with his fingers? Had he actually copied Itachi somehow or was he just naturally gifted, Hinata wonders to herself and decides she didn't care.

Every time his fingers slide inside her or rubbed her clit, she moaned. Her lower half was humming with desire and she knew she'd be wet, even if they weren't inside the oasis.

Itachi's heated kisses and caresses to her breasts were only heightening her pleasure. "F-Feels so good!" How was she supposed to give a coherent answer, when they were making her feel this way? As if she was lost in a sea of pleasure.

"Turn around for us, Beautiful." Itachi smiles at Hinata after releasing her breast from his mouth. "Sasuke should be able to see those beautiful eyes of yours when you cum for us!"

Upon hearing that, Sasuke removes his fingers and looks at Hinata expectantly. Could they really have her this way? Could they really convince her to stay with them, despite everything that would mean?

Hinata whimpers at the loss of contact, before nodding. "A-Alright." She lets go of them briefly to turn around until she was face to face with Sasuke.

He really needed to thank his brother. Hinata's eyes were shimmering with want and need and her blush had spread all the way to the valley of her breasts. She was glorious.

"God, you're beautiful." He kisses her passionately.

Hinata moans into the kiss and returns it. It was as if he was trying to devour her, but it felt so good. For a moment, she was distracted by the kiss until she felt Itachi place her hand back on Sasuke's arousal and something rather large press against the curve of her ass.

"I-Itachi!" She squirms at the sensation.

He chuckles darkly as he glides his hands up and down her backside, squeezing lightly. "We're not going to take you yet." The elder Uchiha pauses and adds. "Not until you beg."

Now, that was a turn on. The thought of his sweet angel begging to his cock. Sasuke thrusts into her hand rather enthusiastically at the thought as he moves down and sucks on one of her breasts while rubbing the other one.

"S-Sasuke!" Hinata moans.

Itachi smirks at the sight of their little princess lost to pleasure as she writhes against them. Eager to see more of it, brushes his arousal against her backside and over her womanhood.

Hinata jumps at that, but it was mostly from surprised. She was blushing heavily, but not protesting. "You've never been touched this way before." It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact. "Which is fine. I find the prospect of teaching you about the carnal arts rather intriguing." He grinds his arousal against her to further demonstrate his point.

Hinata moans. Between the feeling of Sasuke's mouth on her breasts and Itachi's arousal against her soaked womanhood, begging was an all too real possibility.

Sasuke lets go of one of breasts and his hand snakes further down. He toys with her clit as Itachi pumps his fingers in and out of her. Hinata desperately stroking at both of them, causing both brothers to moan and buck against lustfully.

It all felt so good. Hinata couldn't' hold back any more. "Nhh! I'm going to cum!" And apparently, her almost lovers took that as some sort of challenge because Sasuke nips at a nipple and rubs her clit determinedly while Itachi pumps his fingers faster and faster.

She couldn't help it. "I-ITACHI!" She came hard and fast. "S-SASUKE!" Screaming both of their names.

Her lovers weren't far behind though. It was strange not actually seeing their release because the water was covering them, but hearing them practically snarl out her name in pleasure like wild animals as the found their own bliss.

She blushes as she tries to catch her breath and lets go of both of them. "Such a wonderful student." Itachi smirks as he kisses her temple affectionately. "Now, let's get you dried off and dressed."

Before Hinata could say anything, Itachi scoops her up in his arms and carries her to the shore. Sasuke swiftly follows suit.

Sasuke nods in agreement as he performs an improvised Fire Jutsu. One that summoned heat and wind to his hands, without actual flames. Quickly drying off her beautiful skin and his own.

"What you aren't going to do me as well?" Itachi raises an eyebrow.

Sasuke snorts. "No, you can dry yourself." To which his brother just laughed and grabbed a towel.

After that, it didn't take the three of them long to dress. To say the least, Sasuke was rather tempted to just stay in their little oasis and forget everything else. He knew that he couldn't though. Hinata had a family to return to.

 **End of Lime**

"Should we take that to me that you've accepted our proposal?" Itachi watches Hinata with hopeful eyes.

After all, this was the second time that she had allowed them both to touch her intimately. It was also the first time, that she had returned the favor. He knew that was a significant step for their little Byakugan Princess.

Hinata bites her lower lip as she considers it. "It feels right to be with the two of you, but my family wouldn't react well to this." The thought filled her with dread. "To me being with both of you."

"Doesn't matter." Sasuke caresses her cheek. "We're not trying to steal you away from your family, Hinata." He shakes his head as if the thought was utterly distasteful to him. "If need be, we can keep it a secret."

A secret? That would be easier, but sooner or later someone would find out. It'd be impossible to keep their relationship a secret forever.

Itachi shakes his head. "The idea might be tempting, but it would be impractical in the long run, especially with a family full of people who have the Byakugan."

Hinata sighs and nods at this. Itachi was right about that much. She had been born into the Clan that was the hardest to keep a secret from.

"That's true." She nods her head, once again sadly.

Sasuke kisses her forehead and looks at her. "Then it's up to you, what you want to do or not do." His eyes were now searching hers. "I'd be willing to fight for you though and I know Itachi would as well."

Itachi nods at that and places another kiss to her temple. He couldn't imagine letting her go that easily. Not after he knew what it was like to be with her.

"If worse comes to worse, I do promise you that we would love you enough that you wouldn't need to worry about them." Itachi smiles at her and plays with her hair. "They'll see in time and if they don't, they weren't really your family to begin with."

Sasuke nods in agreement. "If you don't want to be with us though, if it's too hard…we'll respect your wishes though." The thought was clearly very painful to him though. "But do you really want to give up on the idea of us just for the sake of being viewed as a proper woman by society?"

* * *

Back in the Leaf, Naruto still couldn't believe it! It was actually possible that Sasuke _**and**_ Itachi both had feelings for Hinata! This might not end well, he thinks to himself as he sits down for a meal in the hospital cafeteria.

"So what are we going to do about this?" He looks at Sakura. "I mean we can't just say nothing, can we?"

That idea sounded so painful. It would be like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Sasuke and Itachi had just reconciled. Competing for the same woman's love could completely destroy their already fragile relationship!

Sakura sighs as she bites into her pudding. "I don't know." She shakes her head as though she had been tormented by the thought for awhile and she probably had.

He sighs as he eats his Ramen. There had to be something that they could do. They couldn't just sit around and wait for this tragedy to happen.

"Kakashi Sensei told me that they were spotted in the Sand together not that long ago." He slurps some noodles. "So they're probably on their way back right now."

Sakura nods in agreement. "That's true." Though it didn't answer what they were going to do.

"I'm gonna talk to the Bastard when he gets back!" Before this could get out of hand. "Believe it!"

The medic sighs and gives him a look. Clearly, Sakura didn't think that was the most brilliant idea ever, but it was better than the alternative. Doing nothing!

* * *

A few hours later, Itachi, Hinata, and Sasuke made their way further. They were no longer at the oasis. They were in a border village and eating at one of its cafes.

"It's nice here." Hinata smiles. "And it's amazing how quickly everyone rebuilt after the war."

Itachi knew what she was doing. He was willing to humor her though. The woman clearly was searching for topics of conversation that didn't relate to their relationship.

He nods in agreement. "Indeed." It was very nice there. "And they do have such a diverse menu."

It seemed that even Sasuke was willing to do so. "I'll have the tomato soup." Sasuke and his tomatoes, honestly!

Though that didn't change the fact that his brother's eyes never strayed from Hinata. A fact that was starting to be noticed by the other patrons. Mostly the female ones.

Now, that the truth was out, people were slowly coming around. While it wasn't perfect, Itachi could see that eventually their Clan would get their good name back. People just needed time to adjust.

"Well I don't see cabbage on the menu, so I'll just have the chicken salad." Itachi smiles at the waitress.

Hinata glances over the menu and nods. "The fish looks quite nice." And with that, the waitress writes down their orders and swiftly departs to fill them.

It was difficult to learn that everything you thought you knew was wrong. Reality had always been such a fickle thing. Everyone's perception of the same events were so different. It was a far more abstract concept than most people gave it credit for.

"It's about at day and a half till we reach the Leaf Village." Sasuke glances at the map. "That's if we travel at normal speed. If we go the leisurely route, perhaps three."

The leisurely route sounded best to Itachi. Not only because he was still recovering form his surgery, but because it would give Hinata more time. More time to consider the situation.

It would also give him and Sasuke more time to persuade her. This wasn't an easy decision for a young woman to make. Her entire reputation would be changed overnight.

Itachi cared little for such things. "The scenic route would be best." He was so used to being viewed as a cold-blooded killer, that the opinion of others outside of a select few mattered little to him.

That wasn't the case for Hinata though. The woman clearly cared a great deal about what others thought of her. Mostly likely, that was just part of her empathetic nature.

It was one of the things that he loved about her, but it was also going to hurt her. It would hurt her badly in this case. He couldn't imagine that Hiashi Hyuga would react well to his daughter having two suitors and that was just the beginning.

"Yes." Hinata nods. "We'll take our time." She smiles at Itachi. "How are you feeling?"

The Leaf's judgment would likely be swift and unforgiving. As much as Itachi fiercely loved his village, the people tended to follow the herd rather quickly. For a village that had committed so many crimes, it was overly eager to caste judgment against anyone who deviated from what was considered normal.

"Here you are." The waitress had already come back with their food. "Can I get you anything else?" Her eyes linger rather appreciatively on Sasuke and Itachi.

"No!" Hinata huffs. "We're good!" It was adorable to see her jealous. "Thank you!"

Sasuke and Itachi nodded in confirmation and the waitress wisely leaves them to their own devices. A jealous Hyuga was not one to be trifled with. That much was clear.

His brother smiles at her and takes her hands subtly. "You know that we only have eyes for you, right?" Itachi nods at that and places his hand on Hinata's thigh underneath the table.

"I k-know." Hinata blushes and looks down at her food.

Ah some things never changed. Such a seductress when they were alone, but such a bashful Academy Girl when they were not, Itachi muses to himself. Not that he would have it any other way.


	19. Chapter 19

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I'm pretty sure that this is the biggest pitcher of lemonade that I've ever served in a single chapter actually. Oh and this one also comes with a hint of lime. Anyway, I hope you guys all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I know that everyone has their preferences when it comes to how they would like to see the Uchiha Brothers _bond_ with Hinata. So for those of you who are still hoping for other versions, please be patient. There will be a lot of bonding in this story though. So hopefully, there will be something for everyone. ;)

Chapter 19

 _It was a good sign_ , Itachi thinks to himself. It was a good sign that Hinata had gotten jealous over their flirtatious server so easily. Though that wouldn't be enough.

"There's an Inn down the street." Sasuke nods at them. "We could stay there tonight and continue on in the morning."

Hinata was being presented with a rather difficult choice. Her own personal happiness or reputation. Itachi was under no illusions as to what kind of public backlash a woman with two lovers would face.

The bluenette smiles as she nibbles on her meal. "That sounds like a good idea." Adorable, truly.

Adorable or not though, the village's judgment would likely be swift and unforgiving. It probably wouldn't matter that they had known Hinata all her life and had always presented herself as a kind and modest woman before hand. The very fact that she had two lovers at once would likely shatter their delicate sensibilities. To make matters worse though, they were _brothers_. Brothers that the villagers all knew were more than capable of destroying the Leaf Village at that!

"Yes, it does." Itachi chuckles. "Which is why I'm surprised that Sauske thought of it." Of course, he couldn't let either of them know the direction his thoughts were taking.

It wasn't exactly that he was feigning his cheerfulness. Part of him was almost deliriously happy. The other part of him was worried though. Would society's judgment steal their princess away?

Sasuke twitches at that. "I have a lot of good ideas." Besides, his brother was delightfully easy to tease.

"Yes, you do." He smiles pleasantly to soothe over his brother's irritation. "It's just most of them occur on the battlefield."

They were used to it. He and Sasuke were used to facing the unforgiving judgment of the public. Hinata wasn't.

Hinata was a complete innocent in that respect and they were asking a lot of her. Her family would likely never accept their relationship and even if they did, the village would almost certainly never look at her the same way.

"You're such a jerk sometimes." The younger Uchiha rolls his eyes.

If they were asking her to make that kind of sacrifice, it was only natural that she should gain something equally or more precious than her reputation. The fastest way to ensure that their Byakugan Princess knew exactly what she would be getting was to make love to her, but she was normally such a shy thing.

This sort of situation would have to be handled delicately. They were asking a very shy woman to take two lovers.

Itachi chuckles once more as he takes another sip of his drink. "Of course, I'm your big brother." He smirks at Sasuke, acting as casually as possible. "It is one of my most sacred duties annoy you." Their sweet, innocent Nymph never saw it coming.

 **Warning Lime**

Hinata laughs as she watches Itachi and Sasuke tease each other. She had been enjoying her meal when she felt something on her thigh. Something warm and firm. A hand?

Before she knew what was happening, that hand had slid underneath her pants and was now pulling her lingerie off to the side. "W-What the?" Though as she looks around, it soon became rather apparent what was going on.

Itachi was smirking in subtle way. It was him and Sasuke didn't seem to realize what was going on. Thankfully, neither did the other patrons.

"So did you want to get separate rooms or share?" Sasuke looks at Hinata.

 _Oh God!_ Itachi caressing her womanhood in the middle of the café! Where anyone could see!

She bites her lower lip, trying to stifle a gasp or moan. "S-Sharing sounds good." Really, good.

Itachi nods happily. "That sounds like an excellent idea." His thumb brushes against her clit as he slides another finger more insistently against her entrance.

Hinata squirms slightly. She was getting wet! She was getting wet in the middle of a restaurant in broad daylight! This was horribly improper, but it felt so good!

"Alright." Sasuke tilts his head and looks at her in concern. "Are you okay?"

She was _better_ than okay! Itachi was now pumping his finger inside her as he teased her sensitive pearl more. Oh God! She was so close!

"She's quite alright." Itachi's voice didn't even qualify as a whisper at this point. "I'm just getting her ready for tonight."

Sasuke blinks and tilts his head to the side in an utterly baffled way. It would have been adorable, if Hinata wasn't on the edge of orgasm. Oh God! His fingers were moving inside her faster and faster! She was going to cum!

That's when Sasuke gives Itachi a dirty look and seems to connect the dots. "You fucking pervert!" Oh. Nevermind. Sasuke had _definitely_ connected the dots!

Hinata blushes. She didn't know what to say. All she knew was that she needed a little bit more.

"I've never denied that." He smiles and slides his fingers inside her more insistently. "Hinata doesn't seem to mind though. She's already _dripping_ wet."

Upon hearing this, her blush burns hotter than it ever had before. Itachi had just told Sasuke what he was doing to her and that she was getting off on it. He probably thought she was some kind of deviant now.

"Bastard." Sasuke shakes his head. "You better not leave her wanting." He leans over and kisses Hinata. "I'll take care of you properly later, if you want."

Hinata kisses back, relieved that Sasuke's kiss swallowed up her moans as she came hard and fast. She couldn't take it anymore! Itachi's fingers were magic .

 **End of Lime**

"I'd l-like that." Hinata pants as she slowly comes down from the euphoria that Itachi's touch had provided her with.

She still couldn't believe that he had done that and in the middle of a café! What would her father say?!

Itachi smiles and takes out his pouch. "I'll pay for the meal. Why don't you two go and find us a hotel room?" He starts counting the required payment. "I'll be along shortly."

Sasuke nods in agreement as he grabs Hinata and Flickers them off. Thankfully, the Inn was just down the street. So it wasn't too far.

* * *

"We'd like a room. Reserve it under the name Uchiha." Sasuke tells the receptionist. "Another member of our party will be joining us shortly."

How Sasuke could think coherently at a time like this was a complete mystery to Hinata. She pawns it off to the fact that he hadn't just gotten off. Her body felt pleasantly content and as if it was on fire at the same time.

So she was really grateful that Sasuke had the presence of mind to actually get their room. "Of course." The woman hands him a key and Sasuke nods gratefully before taking Hinata to the room.

 **Warning Lemon**

Almost as soon as they were inside, Sasuke locks the door and does a quick Soundproofing Jutsu. Itachi would be able to get in, even the door locked. Besides, that sneaky bastard could wait!

He smirks and pushes Hinata against the wall. "I'm sorry that my brother can be such a cruel bastard sometimes, but I won't leave you wanting." With that being said, he captures her lips in a heated kiss while his hands roam over the curve of her hip until he was able to grab onto her pants and yank them down.

Well down enough that they were by her knees and had revealed her red silky panties anyway. "It's o-okay." Hinata whispers between heated kisses. "I just didn't expect him to do something like that." Neither had Sasuke, but he probably should have.

Still, he couldn't resist the taste of her kiss or anything else that she was willing to offer him. That and the knowledge that she was already dripping wet was more than enough to activate his Sharingan and Rinnegan. Even if Itachi hadn't told him though, Sasuke would have known.

He would have known that she wanted him by how desperate her kisses were. It was almost like she couldn't get enough of him and well that sent a jolt of white hot lust racing through his veins faster than any Chidori he could have hoped to fire off.

"You said you fantasized about me taking you against the wall?" He breaks the kiss in favor of growling in her ear and tearing her panties off.

They were quite lovely. Silky and red. A combination that was unexpectedly bold of her, but he liked it. He liked it a lot. Too much for the panties to have any hope of survival really.

Hinata blushes and nods. "Yes." Her shy confession really made Sasuke wish that he had the foresight to strip faster, but he was more than happy to indulge her.

A chuckling sound is heard as the door opens and quickly shuts. "I see that you started without me." It was Itachi.

It was quite the arousing sight. Hinata half naked and pinned against the wall by his brother. Her face flushed with arousal and Sasuke looked as if he was ready to devour their princess.

"Well that is what you told us to do." Sasuke smirks. "Red silk by the way."

Oh red silk! That **was** promising! Hinata looked confused, but that was alright. He'd explain later.

"Well Sasuke, I want you lay on the bed with Hinata." For now, he was going to guide his foolish brother and help him please their Byakugan Princess. "I want you to use your mouth on her and if she's willing, it would be preferable for Hinata to return the favor."

Hinata blushes redder than Sasuke's Sharingan at hearing that. "W-What are you going to be doing?" Hmm. Well she seemed more shocked at his request than repulsed by it. Maybe, Sasuke was about to get very lucky.

He smiles at her. "I'm going to turn on the shower." After all, water was a very sensual element as proven by their time in the oasis.

Sasuke seemed to realize where he was going with this. "Would you like that, Beautiful?" He kisses the curve of her neck. "For us to make love to you in the shower?"

His brother was a fast learner. Itachi had to give him that much. He was already mastering the art of speaking to a woman. Well at least in the bedroom, anyway.

"Y-Yes." Hinata nods shyly in Sasuke's arms.

Good. Yes was good. She just needed a bit of coaxing, Itachi decides as he swiftly heads to the bathroom to turn on the water.

Sasuke smiles and scoops Hinata up, carrying her towards the bed. He gently lays her down on it. "Did you want to do both directions or just one?" It was sweet, really.

She smiles at the thought. The way he carried her made her very precious and it was nice that he asked. Though Hinata bites her lower lip at the question.

It did seem only fair, but what if the bluenette wasn't good at that particular act? "I'd like to try both directions, but I've never done it before." She blushes.

"That's fine." He smiles at her and kisses her reassuringly. "You're my first everything."

She returns the kiss and pulls him closer to her. "Alright." It was a relief to know that she wasn't the only one who felt unsure of what to do in this situation. Though Sasuke seemed to trust his instincts more than she did.

Hinata would have to something about that. With that thought in mind, she quickly tugs down Sasuke's pants and boxers, before positioning him in such a way that his arousal was staring her right in the face.

Sasuke didn't have any hesitation though. He immediately buries his face between her thighs and starts licking her. Oh God! He was really good at _that_!

"S-Sasuke!" The bluenette moans as she takes the tip into her mouth and lavishes it with her tongue curiously.

She wasn't really sure what she expected, but this wasn't it. His desire tasted a bit salty, but the bluenette didn't mind that. Even if she had, the sounds of his moans and the feeling of him bucking against her so desperately, that would have been more than enough to make her wet.

Well that and his tongue. "H-Hinata!" he groans and continues licking her faster and faster.

Sasuke had died and gone to some sort of Sexual Paradise, he decides. The feeling of her shy tongue licking him and her lips gently sucking him off was incredible! It took all his self control not to come right then and there.

Itachi smirks as he adjusts the water and peeks through the door. "It looks like she decided to try it, after all." Sasuke was certainly enjoying Hinata's first attempt to suck him off, it seemed.

Not that he could blame him. What man didn't enjoy such attention? Though it did please him to see Sasuke had gotten over his initial bashfulness. It was hard to tell at the moment that he was relatively inexperienced because of his…enthusiasm.

"Strip and come join me." The trick was to stop them just before they came.

They'd be half mad with desire at the moment. It would be interesting to see if they would follow the command or if they would attempt to ignore him.

There was a groan and whimper of protest. The groan came from his brother and the whimper belonged to the Byakugan Princess as the two of them slowly tore themselves apart, finished disrobing, and made their way to the bathroom.

"Such a wonderfully accommodating princess." Itachi smiles as he pulls her into his arms. "Now, I believe it would be wise for you to use The Jutsu."

He didn't miss the flash of disappointment in his brother's eyes, but this was really for the best. Hinata was still deciding, if she wanted to be with them. She was far from ready to carry either of their children.

Hinata blinks. Obviously, it was a good thin that he had reminded her. "Right!" She performs The Jutsu and Itachi smiles.

"Good girl." He kisses her cheek as he caresses her breasts. "If I recall correctly, you confessed to wanting Sasuke to take you against a wall awhile back." He toys with her nipple, making her moan.

The bluenette blushes and nods. She looked beautiful in the shower with the water seeming to slide possessively down her normally creamy white skin that was now adorned with a rosy pink blush.

"Itachi." Sasuke growls as he watches them intently.

"I'm merely trying to ascertain how our beautiful princess wants us to ravish her." He tsks at Sasuke. "A gentleman always asks what his lady wants." And as if to emphasize his point, he rubs her womanhood.

Hinata moans as Itachi does so and blushes more. "So is that what you want, Hinata?" He kisses her ear as he rubs her faster. "My brother's cock buried inside you? Do you want him to fuck you against the wall as I watch?"

She couldn't believe Itachi was saying such things or that she was responding to them in such a way! "Y-Yes, that's what I want." She blushes and looks at Sasuke shyly.

"Good." Itachi smiles at her slyly as though very pleased by her progress. "We'll work on helping you to become more vocal when it comes to expressing your desires later." He moves his hands up slowly away from her backside and womanhood and towards her breasts. "And don't worry, after Sasuke has had his turn, I'm more than willing to ensure that you achieve paradise twice."

 _He was taunting him,_ Sasuke decides. Taunting him with his words and actions. The way Itachi's hands were gliding over Hinata's breasts was slow and deliberate. Possessive and sensual.

Itachi was trying to provoke him into action. "Good because I want that too." Not that he needed any prompting!

Hinata had just told Sasuke that she wanted him! She wanted him to be her _**first!**_ He could punish Itachi later!

"Hinata, go stand by the wall with your back towards it." He smiles at her.

The bluenette eagerly does as she was instructed and looks at him with those adorably trusting eyes. "This is going to hurt at first." He knew that. Sasuke wasn't _completely_ naïve. "But it will feel good soon. I promise."

With that being said, he kisses Hinata. Kisses her as if his life depended on it because in a way, it did. If something went wrong, Hinata would probably never give herself to either of them again. That thought was unbearable. So he couldn't mess this up.

She was beautiful. The way her midnight blue tresses were clinging to her soaked skin. Her adoring lavender eyes. Her ample breasts with those perky pink nipples and that gorgeous backside. Legs that seemed to go on forever and that endearing blush.

"I know." Hinata smiles at him as she wraps her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. "It's okay. I trust you." She glances at Itachi. "Both of you."

"And we trust you." Itachi nods. "Completely."

Sasuke smiles as he wraps one arm around her waist. "Good." He didn't want her to slide away from him in the middle of their lovemaking. "I love you." And he meant that.

With every fiber of his being, he meant that. Not giving her a chance to respond because he didn't want to force her to say the words back or reject them, he rubs her clit and slowly pushes himself inside her.

Hinata whimpers quietly in pain as Sasuke kisses her and Itachi watches. It was unfortunate, but unavoidable. At least, they had prepared her as much as possible to lessen the pain.

Though it was still a beautiful sight. Sasuke's one hand was now firmly resting on her ass, holding her against the white tiles of the shower walls as Hinata tried to adjust to his size. Hardly an easy feat for a former virgin, but she was obviously doing her best.

"It's okay." She whispers, after returning his kiss. "You can move now. It doesn't hurt as much." The bluenette kisses his neck.

That was the truth. It had at first. A tearing sensation, but his kiss was quickly distracting her from that and he was looking at her so lovingly, that she couldn't refuse him.

"Thank the Gods and Goddesses!" Sasuke sighs in relief as he covers her neck with kisses and begins to move inside her.

Hinata gasps and moans at the sensation of being so _full_! This was even better than their tongue or fingers. Once he moved, it stopped being about pain and quickly transformed into being about pleasure.

She could feel him against her. Every powerful thrust. See the strength his muscles. The fact that she knew that her lover was capable of leveling mountains and had her "trapped" against the wall was exciting in a way that she couldn't articulate.

"S-Sasuke!" She rolls her hips and moans more as he took her against the wall.

She could feel the cool tiles against her back. The warm water almost cocooning them as it slide down their bodies. Down that wonderfully sculpted body that somehow fit against hers perfectly. They couldn't be more different in form, but they blended like two halves of the same coin.

The entire time, Itachi was watching them. "Yes! Yes!" The feeling of his lustful crimson red eyes upon them only aroused her further.

"Very good, Sasuke." Itachi's eyes never wavered. "It seems you're giving our princess _exactly_ what she asked for." He truly had no shame.

Hinata moans as he arches against Sasuke. "Don't stop!" Then again, neither then she.

Well not at that moment anyway. It felt so good to be connected to him in this way. Moving as one.

Sasuke kisses her hotly as he allows one of his hands to fondle her breasts, equally possessively while his other squeezes her backside. There would never be anything better than this.

"You feel so fucking good." He growls between kisses.

Hot, tight, and wet. She felt against him so perfectly. Why hadn't he done this sooner. Every time he slide inside her, it felt better than the last. Her soft moans and pleas were sending a fire through his blood.

"S-Sasuke!" She moans desperately. "I'm so close!" Watching her being taken against the wall was the most erotic thing that he had ever seen in his life.

Everything about it was perfect. The way her breasts bounced as he slammed into her. The way her hair flowed around them in a beautiful curtain. Her moans. The feeling of being inside her. It was too much and not enough at the same time.

"Then be a good princess and don't hold back." He hears his brother say.

Apparently, that was all it took. Hinata writhes in ecstasy only a moment or two later. Cumming fast and hard as Sasuke soon joined her in bliss.

It took several minutes for him to come down from his high enough to have the presence of mind to slide out of her. Hinata was still whirling from her orgasm it seemed. She didn't protest the motion as he caught her in his arms.

He smiles and holds her for a moment or two like that. Just admiring how beautiful she looked in his arms. "If you can't, it's okay." Sasuke kisses her forehead. "I'm sure Itachi can wait."

Hinata shakes her head as she snuggles closer to Sasuke. "No, I want to. I want to be with both of you." She was panting and trying to will her heart to stop racing, but the Hyuga woman also felt unbelievably good.

"Good." Itachi smiles as he lifts Hinata out of Sasuke's arms. "Because we feel the same way."

She smiles at that and kisses Itachi. Hinata still couldn't believe that she had not one beautiful lover, but two. Though the feeling of Itachi's arousal pressed against her sign drove the point home. This was real.

"Do you want to watch us?" She dares herself to glance back at Sasuke.

Itachi didn't seem to mind watching them. If anything, the elder Uchiha appeared to find the act erotic. She wasn't sure about Sasuke though.

The other Uchiha smirks at her and warps her legs around his waist as Sasuke walks over towards them. "Yes." He kisses her shoulder. "I do. I love watching you, especially when you cum."

His words brought another blush to her face and made Hinata shiver. Her back was towards Sasuke and she was facing Itachi. So she was surrounded again. Which only made her shiver in anticipation.

Itachi's smirk only grows at that. "Well in that case, Hinata, why don't we give my foolish little brother what he wants then?" That smirk should be illegal. It was far too sexy to be used so easily.

"Mmm he might be foolish sometimes." Hinata giggles as she wraps her arms more tightly around Itachi's neck and tries to get herself better situated. "But he's definitely not little."

She couldn't believe those words had left her lips. They were undeniably lewd, Hinata supposed that was the orgasm talking. Well that and it was accurate.

It was now Sasuke's turn to smirk. "Thank you, Hinata." She could feel his smirk when his lips pressed against her shoulder more. "That was very kind of you to say." And for her efforts, he rewards her with quick smack to her ass, making her moan.

Itachi shakes his head in amusement as he kisses Hinata. He had watched the entire scene in startling detail. Sasuke taking their little princess against the wall as she moaned in ways that drove him to insanity.

Now though, it was his turn and he was determined to please her just as well. "I think our princess likes it when her delightful bottom gets smacked." To illustrate his point, he smacks her. "After you just made her cum." She moans at the motion and blushes.

It was alluring to see that sweet little blush after she had just been thoroughly fucked. Deviant and sweet all at once, he supposed. He smirks at that thought as he kisses her neck and rubs her clit.

"I think so too." Sasuke watches. "And I can't argue with the view."

He should have been jealous, but for some reason he wasn't. His erection was quickly coming back from seeing Hinata placed so intimately in Itachi's arms and smacking that gorgeous backside of hers.

"Nhh!" Hinata moans as she squirms against his brother. "I-Itachi!"

Her delightfully soft curves and creamy white skin contrasted nicely with Itachi's hard muscles and sun kissed skin, Sasuke notes. There was something poetic about it. Though the way that Itachi was rubbing her womanhood insistently and now squeezing her ass was less so.

There was no denying that Itachi was excited as he took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked harshly. "Such good little princess, moan for us." Sasuke could see his tongue and teeth teasing the nipple into a perky rose bud again as he rubbed her more insistently.

Hinata sighs in bliss. Itachi's lips and hands were everywhere. She could feel his hot mouth wrapped around her breast and his other hand squeezing her ass. Which was likely already turning a pretty shade of pink from Sasuke's spanking.

She had never known that it could be so arousing to be watched in this way. That someone could touch her so expertly, but it was true. The feeling of Sasuke's eyes on her as Itachi's hands touched her everywhere was making her come unglued.

If she hadn't been wet before, she definitely was now. "Ah!" And she couldn't stop moaning. "Feels so good."

Itachi slides two fingers inside her, teasing her. Hinata couldn't help, but moan. Sasuke's touches were passionate, but Itachi's were practiced. Elegant. He knew exactly where to touch her, while Sasuke made up for his experience with enthusiasm and adoration.

"Beautiful." Itachi growls with pleasure. "You looks so beautiful sitting in my arms about to take my cock inside you like a wanton little nymph." As if to illustrate his point, he grinds against her.

She was soaking wet, both from the shower and her previous orgasm. "I w-want you." Hinata whimpers as she rubs herself against his erection, causing him to groan. "Both of you."

He probably should have teased her more, but how could he resist such a sweet invitation? "Then you can have us." He thrusts inside his kitten and moans at the sensation of being inside her. "Always. As often as you want."

Wet, hot, and tight. She felt perfect wrapped around his cock like this as he thrusts up into her, making the gorgeous woman in his arms bounce slightly as he does so.

"Nhhh!" Hinata moans as she starts to willingly bounce herself up and down the length of his cock. "I-ITACHI! YES!" And screams for him.

He liked it when she screamed for him. Itachi also liked watching those breasts bounce as he slammed into her tight heat. So he suckles on them as Hianta writhes against him. Lost in pleasure.

The moment was perfect. The way she was arched against him so wantonly. Her adorable blush. Her bouncing breasts and hair splaying out all around them as he thrusted into her. How wonderfully she fit him. And even her scent was driving him to madness.

"You look even more beautiful when you're riding one of our cocks." Sasuke growls with approval.

It shocked him really that Sasuke was willing to engage in such talk, but Itachi takes it as a good sign. That and well the feeling of being inside Hinata was rather distracting. He would have to encourage this newfound boldness in Sasuke later because Hinata seemed to enjoy some _adult conversation_ during lovemaking.

Hinata moans as she tries desperately to match his pace. "I'm so close!" God, it felt **good!**

He was thrusting inside her so fast and hard, taking her like an animal. She hadn't expected Itachi to be the rougher lover, but she found she didn't mind. Sasuke's passionate adoration or Itachi's elegant possessive lovemaking were both nothing short of divine.

He looked beautiful with his crimson eyes smoldering with lust as he claimed her, over and over again. She could feel the power in his muscles as he slammed into her again and again. Hear his strangled moans of passion and taste it in his kiss as he drove them towards pure bliss.

They were moving as one and she could feel Sasuke's eyes on them. More than that, she could feel the other Uchiha grinding against her back side. "Don't stop. You aren't taking us both at once." He licks her ear. "At least not yet." Her eyes had widened at the feeling of him so close to her second entrance, but she relaxes upon hearing that promise.

A promise not sneak attack her and a promise that she would be with them both at the same time in the future. That thought and Itachi slamming into her spot was enough to make her cum.

"ITACHI!" She screams his name to the Heavens as her release threatened to drown her in a sea of pleasure. "Oh God!" Itachi wasn't far behind though.

It was a good thing they had used the Jutsu. She could feel him spilling his release deep inside her. Just as Sasuke had done.

She didn't know how long she laid in his arms, trying to catch her breath. How long they had both held her, but eventually, she feels Itachi slide out of her and the brothers help her to stand as they turn off the water and Sasuke dries them all off with his improvised Fire Jutsu, before dressing them.

 **End of Lemon**

Sasuke smiles and scoops her up in his arms, carrying her to the bed. "You alright?" Earlier that day, Hinata had been a complete innocent and now, she had two lovers.

That had to be rather demanding on one's body, even if that person was a ninja. "I'm better than alright." Hinata smiles as she snuggles into his arms and Itachi follows them. "I'm wonderful." She pauses an adds. "Though I'm a little sore."

"That's only to be expected." Itachi chuckles as Sasuke sets Hinata on the bed and the two brothers join her there. "You did receive quite the vigorous dose of love in that shower."

Hinata nods shyly as she cuddles to both of them. It all would have been perfect, if she hadn't known what was coming. Soon enough, they would be back in the Leaf Village and people were going to find out about their relationship.

"You don't have to answer now, if you don't want to." Sasuke kisses her forehead. "But do you want to stay with us?"

She knew what it was like to be with them. Was it enough? Hinata had clearly enjoyed their affection, but was it enough to withstand the backlash that was surely coming.

"I want to be with the both of you." Hinata nods shyly. "More than anything, but when we get back in the Leaf…when people find out, it won't be pretty."

Itachi nods in understanding. "It won't be pretty, but nothing worth having was ever easy." He kisses the top of her head. "Don't worry. Sasuke and I will bare as much of the brunt as we can." He shakes his head. "And absolutely nothing is going to keep us away from you now."

Hinata nods at those words. She knew that Itachi meant them, but would he be able to keep that promise? In only three days at most, they'd be back in the Leaf Village and they would have to face reality.

The reality that it just wasn't proper to have two lovers, especially if you were a woman. A woman who was in love with two brothers at that! And those brothers happened to be the Uchiha Brothers! To say the least, their relationship was likely going to rock the very foundations of the Leaf Village. She could only hope, that somehow…they'd be able to manage that.


	20. Chapter 20

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Hinata and the Uchiha Brothers will be facing their first real "outside challenges" to their relationship. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter because people have been asking for angst and well, this is my attempt to provide that.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm not entirely sure, what I'll eventually end up doing with Hiashi in this story. So if you have a preference for what you would like to see happen with his character development, feel free to let me know. I have portrayed him in positive, negative, and neutral lights before. So almost anything is possible.

Chapter 20

 _Perfect._ Moments like this were perfect, Hinata thinks to herself as she returns Sasuke's kiss and leans back against Itachi. Though she didn't know how long they would last.

"We really shouldn't do this while I'm at work." The bluenette whispers, once Sasuke breaks the kiss.

It was true. There was a chance that the three of them could get caught and then what would they do? While Hinata had agreed that keeping their relationship a secret would be unwise, that didn't mean that she had any idea how to tell her family about her lovers.

"Because you're afraid that we'll get caught." Itachi traces his hand along the curve of her hip. "And yet, you never turn us away." That was true. "Never once, have you rejected our advances."

That was also true. Hinata was weak and she knew it, but she just couldn't not respond. As soon as either brother touched her, the bluenette always responded in kind and they all knew it.

Sasuke sigh as he caresses her cheek. "I wish this was easier for you." Hinata did as well. "Have you changed your mind?" The younger Uchiha watches her with wary eyes. "Would you prefer to keep our relationship a secret?"

He had every right to be wary. It would be easier to keep it a secret, but doing so wasn't practical. That and was highly dishonest.

While it might not _technically_ be a lie, it was close enough. It was a lie by omission that could really hurt some of the people she cared about most. Like Sakura or her family.

"No." She shakes her head. "It's going to get out eventually." There was no denying that, she thinks to herself as Itachi spins her around and kisses her.

His kiss as always was elegance and seduction personified. Sasuke's kisses alternated between fiery passion and adoration. Itachi's were either elegant and sensual or possessive and passionate.

The kisses of both the brothers left her breathless. So did their other touches. Their caresses and everything else. The thought of what everything else entailed made her blush.

"This can't be easy for you." Itachi ends the kiss and gazes at her with both affection and remorse. "You care what other people think of you. You're too kind not to do so." He pauses and sighs. "Sasuke and I don't generally have that problem. We're used to people despising or being terrified of us."

That was true. Hinata was under no delusions what the path she had chosen meant. Anyone who publicly had two lovers was going to make themselves a magnet for gossip. Most likely malicious gossip and she had gone even further than that.

She had chosen the Uchiha Brothers. Half of the village would be green with envy, whether they wanted to admit it or not. The other half would be split between fear for her safety and disgust. Disgust at how wanton she was. They'd probably think she was a slave to lust.

"It's mostly my family, team, and the other Rookies that I'm worried about." She admits. "I can handle people that I don't know well thinking poorly of me, but I don't want to disappoint them."

That was the truth. She couldn't imagine a scenario where her father or even her friends reacted well to this. Not even Sakura.

Sakura currently thought that she had feelings for Itachi and only Itachi. That was no longer the case. Her friend might actually accuse her of "stealing" Sasuke from her or worse, think that Hinata didn't know what she was getting into.

Sasuke brushes some hair behind her ear. "Don't worry about them." His touch was gentle and reassuring. "What matters is what makes you happy." Two words that she wouldn't have associated with Sasuke even a year ago, but she did now.

"You're right." She smiles and allows herself to get swept up in their passionate kisses.

The three of them were in one of the empty hospital rooms and they were so quite up in each other, that they didn't even notice someone open the door. Her name was Rei and she was another medic. A medic who also belonged to the Hyuga Clan and went straight home to tell Hiashi exactly what she had just seen.

* * *

Three hours later, Hiashi Hyuga grimaces. He didn't want to believe what Rei had told him, but the Hyuga Patriarch also doubted that the girl was lying. Why would she lie when she had everything to lose, if she was caught doing so?

"Hinata, there is something that I need to discuss with you." He gestures for her to sit down in a nearby chair. "Of a rather unpleasant nature, but I need you to be completely forthright with me."

His daughter's eyes widened in alarm upon hearing that as she nods dumbly and sits down. At that moment, her words became a mere formality. The Branch Member had spoken the truth.

Had she not, Hinata wouldn't look at him that way. Her face that was normally adorned with a shy smile was now sporting an expression that looked akin to terror and for good reason.

She swallows hard. "Yes, Father." There was no way that he could tolerate this behavior!

"I was informed earlier today that you were spotted kissing not one man, but two." He could overlook one. Hinata was a grown woman and it was only natural that she would seek out companionship. "And as if that was not bad enough, it was the Uchiha Brothers!" That he couldn't overlook!

Did his daughter truly not understand that she was playing with fire?! Quite literally in certain contexts?! He might be able to understand her falling for one of them, but both of them?

"T-That information is accurate." That was just insanity! "I was going to tell you, but I just didn't know how." That was perhaps the only understandable part of this entire affair!

Of course, Hinata didn't know how to tell him that she was involved in a relationship with two men! There was no good way to tell him that because the behavior was utterly unacceptable!

It was nothing short of deviant! "I see. Well should you break it off with them immediately or choose only one for your lover, I can pretend that this didn't happen." One offense could possibly be forgotten.

He'd have to ensure that Rei told no one else, of course. That was a simple matter though. She was a Branch Member. Rei would do as he said. There was no reason for Hinata to ruin her entire life over a few stolen kisses.

His daughter had likely just gotten caught up in the moment. It was easily enough explained by the foolishness of youth. As long as she learned from her mistake, Hiashi was willing to leave it at that.

"I'm sorry, Father." Hinata sighs as she dares herself to look up at him. "I can't do that. I love them."

He had presumed as much. The girl was a romantic. Hinata wouldn't go around kissing men that she didn't believe herself to be in love with. It wasn't in her nature.

That didn't mean that Hinata wasn't being manipulated though. Itachi Uchiha was a master at Genjutsu and Sasuke was obviously in some way, codependent on his brother. Whether the two were working together to "trick" her in some way or Itachi was manipulating both of them, he didn't know.

It didn't matter. "You aren't in love with them, Hianta." He **would** fix this! "You're merely confused or being manipulated."

The bluenette shakes her head. "No, Father." It seemed that they're claws were stuck rather deeply into her. "I am in love with them and I know that it isn't a very conventional relationship, but the three of us are happy together."

An outrage! This would disgrace the entire Clan! Why, why had she chosen to do this to herself?! Was Hinata some kind of masochist? Did she truly not realize what she was about to subject herself to?

"Hinata, you're a grown woman." He sighs as his eyes narrow. "But you're also a member of the Hyuga Clan. With that comes certain privileges and responsibilities." That she should be very well aware of by this point! "One these responsibilities is to bring honor and not shame to our family name."

He was going to have to do it. For the good of the Clan, Hiashi would have no choice, but to disown her. His beloved late wife would likely never forgive him and he felt a sharp pain in his chest at the very thought of doing what must be done, but that wouldn't stop him. Hiashi Hyuga would protect their Clan!

"I'm aware of that, Father." She bites her lower lip. "Which is why I answered your question honestly."

He did appreciate that. At least the girl wasn't a liar, but that would only go so far. "I will give you time to gather your things and find suitable living arrangements before I announce your disownment to the rest of the Clan."

That was all that he could offer her in good conscience. How his respectable daughter had ever fallen prey to such deviant impulses, Hiashi doubted he'd ever understand. He did understand that this was the only option though.

"Father, no!" Hinata's pleads with him.

He had expected as such. The begging. The horror. The tears that had previously been unshed were now streaming down his face.

On the inside, he felt his heart bleed for his daughter. He winced, but on the outside he remained resolute.

"You've chosen them over your family." He shakes his head. "You'll have to live with your decision, unless you're telling me that you've decided to change your mind."

One more offer. He'd give her one more opportunity to show contrition and begin acting as a proper Hyuga woman again. He hoped that she would take it.

"Father, I haven't chosen them over our family!" Yes, she had!"Please don't make me choose between love and family!"

With that final plea, he felt something inside himself snap. "I'm not the one who made you choose. You chose them over us the moment that you bedded them and **refused** to stop conducting yourself in such _disgraceful_ fashion!"

" It's not disgraceful to love someone!" She looks at him defiantly.

No. It wasn't. Love was beautiful. "That's correct. It's not disgraceful to love someONE. Not **two** people!" Two men at the same time though, that was another matter. "This isn't about love though Hinata. This about lust. Whatever you think that you feel for them, they do not feel for you."

 _ **SMACK!**_ Before Hiashi even realized what was happening, he felt a sharp stinging sensation to his face. It took him a moment for it to dawn on him that Hinata had _slapped_ him!

"I can understand you not understanding." She glares at him, her eyes full of determination and fury. "I can understand you're disapproving and even being disgusted by my actions, but do **not** belittle my feelings for them! I love them!" She storms towards the door.

He feels himself seethe with rage. "Hinata! If you walk out that door, consider yourself disowned and escort yourself off this property immediately or I shall have our guards see you out!" She had actually attacked him!

Hinata stops briefly and her shoulders tense. "I understand." She stiffens. "You've forced me to choose and I choose them." A quiet sob wracks her body. "At least their love doesn't come with conditions." And before he could say anything further on the matter, his daughter Flickered off.

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi was working with Sasuke on their District. Fortunately, Kakashi had the foresight to have at least their family home rebuilt and the worst of the rubble cleared out of the way. Unfortunately, well not much else had been done in the years that the two of them had been away.

The District had fallen into a deep state of disrepair and decay. Most of the buildings had been crushed and the few that were somewhat intact were mere skeletons. The formerly pristine yards and gardens were now overgrown with weeds. In several areas, it more like an overgrown forest than what had once been a proud neighborhood.

"This is going to take awhile." Sasuke sighs.

Itachi nods in agreement. "Even with clones, it will likely take a couple weeks." The weeds alone were surely going to prove problematic.

It was _sad_ to see the District like this. It had once been a bustling place. Sasuke was fortunate in a way, that was how he mostly remembered it when he thought of their childhood. Well before the Massacre anyway.

The elder Uchiha was quite certain that he had romanticized the entire notion. It had been a beautiful District and possessed lush fields. True, it never held the same sense of grandiosity as the Hyuga Estate, but there had been a sense of _communit_ y there. Something that their princess's family's home lacked.

"I guess it's just as well." His brother's eyes scan the surroundings. "It's not as though either of us has anything better to do while Hinata is at the hospital."

Itachi smirks at that. "Besides, ambush her in hopes of stealing a few kisses?" That was always an enjoyable activity.

While the more deviant side of his mind was rather curious about the prospect of ravishing their favorite medic at her workplace, he knew better. It was too risky. That didn't stop either of them from trying to steal a kiss (or a dozen of them) though.

"Yes, besides that." Sasuke shrugs casually. "Occasionally, she does have patients who need her care." True enough.

The elder Uchiha privately admitted that his brother had a good point. Still, he pokes Sasuke's forehead and smiles. It was time to get to work.

"Well with that being said, let's get started." He smiles and performs the necessary hand signs. "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" And a dozen identical versions of himself soon form.

Sasuke swiftly follows suit. This was going to take awhile, but it was nice to have something productive to do.

* * *

The Moon was high in the sky when Sasuke heard it, hours later. He heard the sounds of the nearby foliage rustling. Rustling because something was disturbing it. Something _large_.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Master Sasuke and Master Itachi." Aoda? "But I found this female in the Forest of Death." His Snake Summon. "She seems most upset and as she is covered in both of your scents, I assume she got lost."

The massive Snake Summon would forever remind Sasuke of a golden retriever in a snake's body. Despite being the size of a two or three storied building, he was the most friendly Summon that Sasuke had encountered as of yet.

He was so friendly, that even the rest of the Leaf no longer flinched when they saw him. Well as long as he stuck to the Forest of Death and the Uchiha District anyway. They knew that he wasn't likely to attack, but well that was a very big snake and there were certain laws of physics that had to be acknowledged. Even if he didn't _mean_ to, he was fully capable of knocking over entire buildings or crushing people, if he didn't notice them.

"S-Sorry." It was Hinata! "I didn't mean to come here without asking first, but Aoda f-found me and b-brought me here." Upset was an understatement.

Their lover was completely distraught about something. Her lip was quivering and her face was red with recently shed tears. Actually, he caught the reflection of something glistening off her skin in the moonlight. She was _still_ crying.

Itachi blinks as he wraps his arms around Hinata. "You don't ever have to apologize for visiting us." That was true! "What's wrong?"

"F-Father found out about u-us!" Damn it! It didn't take a genius to realize what had happened. "He's d-disowned me!" Tears were now running freely down her cheeks.

 _Burning_. His entire body felt like it was burning with rage. Sasuke didn't even have to look at his eyes to know that they had transformed. The Sharingan and Rinnegan had both activated in his fury.

He wanted to kill Hiashi for doing this to Hinata! The man had not only made the woman cry, but he had _abandoned_ his own daughter.

How dare he cast her aside like this?! "Sasuke, control your temper." Itachi warns him. "Stay with Hinata, I'm going to speak with Hiashi." He sighs as he looks at Hinata, embracing her lovingly. "I'm judging by your condition that this was awhile ago?" Before letting her go.

Hinata nods as if she was in a daze. "A few hours ago." Why hadn't she come sooner?

Ashamed, Sasuke decides. She was ashamed. Ashamed that her own father had cast her aside, most likely. Maybe even ashamed of her own desires. Ashamed of _them!_

"We can all go together!" Sasuke protests.

Itachi pokes Sasuke's forehead. "That wouldn't be wise. Hinata needs time to compose herself and you're temper would likely trigger a Clan War." That was….accurate. "Besides, she needs your comfort more than Hiashi needs your wrath." Again, probably true.

Sasuke nods as takes Hinata's hand. "You're right." It was a bit infuriating really. Itachi was always right.

"Good." The elder Uchiha shoots him an apologetic look. "I'll be back soon." And with that, he quickly Flickers off.

* * *

About ten minutes later, Sasuke was in his bedroom with Hinata. He had lost count of how many times he had imagined such a thing happening, but this was nothing like his fantasies. Mostly, because his beloved was quietly sobbing in his arms.

"It's alright." He sighs as he glides his hand up and down the her arm soothingly. "Hinata, Itachi is going to speak with your father and if he still refuses to see reason, you can just stay here."

The selfish part of him was hoping that would be the outcome. Why **should** they have to share her with the family who didn't deserve her? The family who was so willing to toss her aside?

Sasuke knew that was wrong though. Hinata loved her family and it killed him to see her this upset. He just didn't really know how to make her feel better though.

Itachi was better at this sort of thing. "He's not going to change his mind." She whispers as she turns around so she was facing him. "I slapped him." His brother was better at comforting people. Wait. What was that last part?

"You slapped him?" Sasuke blinks in shock.

Hinata nods and looks rather ashamed at her behavior. "What he said made me so angry. I shouldn't have done it and I know that, but I did." He almost couldn't believe it.

"You don't have to apologize about slapping him." He deserved far more than that. "He's the one who should be apologizing. Not you."

She needed to focus on something else. "Your room is nice, but it's so bare." The bluenette mumbles.

Hinata knew that the subject change was abrupt, but it was necessary. Still, it was true. The full sized bed had three fluffy white pillows and a simple set of light blue blanket sand sheets. The walls were gray in color and an Uchiha crest hung above the bed. There was one large window and one glass door that lead to a balcony as well.

The room struck her as incredibly _sad_ in an understated way. Everything about it was so bare and efficient. Sasuke had only been back for a couple days, but his personal belongings appeared to be reduced to some books and scrolls as well as his weapons. Though the lamp was nice with its pink shade and the carpet was soft and a calm earthy brown in color. So that was good.

"I haven't spent much time here in years." Sasuke doesn't protest the topic change. "So there hasn't been a need to add much to it, but I suppose it could benefit from a woman's touch." He smiles and kisses her cheek.

Subtlety when it came to emotions wasn't really Sasuke's specialty, Hinata notes. When it came to battle, he could plan out a strategy at least five steps ahead of most of his opponents. When it came to something like this, he wore his heart on his sleeve.

The implication was obvious. _"Don't be sad, you can stay with us."_ He had said as much earlier, but somehow the words made the entire situation feel more real in a way that it hadn't before.

"Probably. Did you still want to revive your mother's garden?" She needed something to talk about. Anything other than her absolute failure as a Hyuga woman. "We could do that."

Sasuke nods as he runs his fingers through her hair. "Yeah. That sounds nice." He pauses an adds. "It's going to take a few weeks to rebuild the District, but this house is sound."

He sounded almost embarrassed about the state of the place and Hinata couldn't entirely blame him. _Death, despair, and hopelessness._ It hung heavily in the air whenever Itachi and Sasuke weren't around in this place.

"I'll help." She didn't really know how much help she could be in a situation like that, but she'd try. "It's the last that I can do."

"Hinata, we love you." He shakes his head. "You aren't our tenant. You're the woman that we love." Sasuke smiles as he reaches for her top. "Don't worry about repaying us for anything. Just stay with us." It was now caked mud, sweat, and tears.

She must look like an absolute mess. Hinata had been running through the forest and training for hours. It had recently rained in the Leaf, so that was why she had gotten muddy when she had tripped once or twice.

Sasuke didn't seem to mind though. On the contrary, he was still looking at her as if she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. Despite everything. Despite the fact that her hair was a mess, her clothes were dirty, and her eyes were puffy, she knew that he still wanted her and that was very comforting.

"Alright." She nods shyly as she snuggles into her lover's arms.

Sasuke smiles at her. "Yes, it's going to be alright." He quickly discards her medic uniform, leaving her clad only in her lingerie. "Here. You can wear this." His eyes roam over her scantily clad form with undisguised appreciation. "It'll distract me less."

Hinata laughs. "Only you could think about sex at a time like this." She smiles though and takes the beautiful kimono.

It was made out of silk. A beautiful dark navy blue silk with the Uchiha Crest on the back. The last part made her blush.

"Hinata, you're half naked and laying in my bed." He shakes his head as he leans down and kisses her. "What part of that was not going to make me think about sex?" He smirks.

Hinata shakes her head in amusement as she puts on the kimono. Well if nothing else, she was clean now and away from her father's disappointed gaze and harsh words.

Instead, she was surrounded by one of her lover's adoring embraces and the quiet of the Uchiha District. The former Heiress could almost pretend that it hadn't happened. It seemed so far away now. Maybe, she was just compartmentalizing the incident to protect herself though.

"You're impossible." She laughs softly.

Sasuke nods as he lays down next to her and wraps the blankets around her. "Impossibly in love with you and I know that Itachi is too." This felt nice. "Don't worry about them. The three of us can be happy here. Together." Being cuddled like this. "As for the rest of the village, they can get over it or take it up with my Chidori."

That was true, she supposed. This was private property and they weren't a threat to the village. So within the District, they could do whatever they wanted. There was no need to worry about what other people might think of love. They could just be themselves.

It was fitting in a way, she muses. That it looked like a graveyard. Her old life was dead. Hinata wasn't really sure how her new life would work, but that things would never be the same for her or for her lovers. She couldn't help, but both frightened and excited at that prospect.

"I don't want you to Chidori anyone, but I guess you're right." She smiles at him. "They can't control what goes on inside this District."


	21. Chapter 21

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well it seems like people are tilting towards a more neutral or positive portrayal of Hiashi. So we'll see if we can't get there. Eventually. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 21

Itachi had never actually been to the Hyuga Estate before. Of course, he had walked by it. Though that was different than actually going _inside_ it.

"It's like a colony of ants." He blinks as he does so.

The Hyuga Estate was grand and vast, but the overall structure of it changed little despite it's size. It was designed with a simplistic elegance in mind. Somehow it managed to exclude an air of grandiosity while still maintaining a fairly simple design.

Probably because everything about it was identical. The floors, the walls, the carpets, and even the paintings didn't vary much, if at all from one room to the next.

"Well at least most of them are asleep at this hour." Itachi had never tried to sneak into a house that had hundreds of Byakugan Users inside it before, but he supposed there was a first time for everything.

After all, he was a man on a mission. The Byakugan meant nothing, if someone was asleep. Even so, he nearly got caught more than once. Like now for instance.

"Lord Hiashi is acting so strangely today." A Hyuga man looks at his companion.

The second man nods his head in agreement. "He's angry. He's been inside his study all day." Ah. So Hiashi **hadn't** told the rest of the Clan what had happened yet!

That was good! That meant there was still a chance that he could fix things! With that thought in mind while they were distracted, Itachi sneaks up behind them and swiftly knocks them both out.

It was far from his most dignified attack, but as he caught them before the two men fell…he thought that elegance could be sacrificed in this case. If it came down to style or being caught, he'd choose practicality in this matter.

"Sorry about that." He carries the men into the nearest room and shuts the door behind them. "Can't let someone find them laying out in the middle of the floor." After all, his aim was to reason with Hiashi. Not to start a Clan War.

Now, he just had to find the Hyuga Patriarch's Study. That was easier said than done though. It might very well take hours of wandering around before he could find it in this maze.

He loved his Sharingan, but at the moment a Byakugan would have been more useful. "Oh well. There's nothing for it." He mutters on under his breath as he continues on his trek.

* * *

"That's right." Sasuke smiles at Hinata as he holds her closely back in his bedroom. "They can't control what happens in this District."

She seemed to be calming down now. A fresh kimono and some cuddling could go a long way, he supposed. That or maybe, Hinata was just too exhausted to sob anymore.

Hinata borrows into his arms as Sasuke wraps the blankets around them tighter. "Makes me just want to hide away here, forever." Now, that sounded like a **great** idea to him!

He smiles at her and kisses her cheek. "You could, if you wanted." Sasuke really doubted that Itachi would protest and he definitely wasn't. "It'll take awhile to get the fields flourishing again, but until then Itachi and I could handle the grocery shopping." And really, other than that what did they need?

Hinata was a medic. So that wasn't an issue. Well unless she needed help. If that happened though, they could just take her to the hospital. Hinata didn't need to face the village's judgment for no reason.

"You really shouldn't tempt me like that." She sighs and rests her head on his chest. "Besides, I think you just want to keep me in bed all day."

Well that was true. "You say that as if there's something wrong with it." Sasuke smirks as he traces the curve of her hip underneath the blanket. "If I recall you didn't seem to mind being in bed with me earlier or with Itachi and I in the shower."

Hinata blushes deeply at that. "Well no, I didn't and there's not necessarily anything wrong with that." She was so adorable when she blushed.

"Good and I'm flexible." Not nearly as flexible as their princess in the literal sense, but he digressed. "It doesn't just have to be the bedroom." Sasuke smirks as his hand trails up from her hips towards the valley of her clothed breasts. "There are a lot of other options. _Together."_

That was true. There was obviously the kitchen, his father's study, the library, their own bathroom, the living room, any of the newest walls, and probably a few other places that they could make love on. Sasuke shifts slightly, trying to hide his growing arousal at the thought.

Yeah. He'd be **perfectly** happy just to keep Hinata here! She didn't really need to deal with her apparently cruel Clan or the judgmental villagers! She could stay right here with them!

Hinata blushes and laughs. "Oh I'm sure there are a lot of options." At this, Sasuke nods his head energetically and the bluenette in his arms giggles. "Though it really wouldn't be very responsible."

Responsible? Who needed to be responsible when he had the woman of his dreams in his bed? Responsibility could take go take a long walk off of a short cliff as far as he was concerned!

"Probably not." He sighs and kisses her. "But I'm sure that Itachi and I could keep you from ever getting bored." Sasuke smiles slyly, after Hinata returns his kiss.

"I'm sure that you could." Hinata smiles at him. "I'm a medic though. The hospital needs me." Well yeah.

That was true. Well maybe, the hospital staff would be more professional than most of the Leaf. Sasuke doubted it, but one could hope.

Like most villages, the Leaf was currently understaffed when it came to medics. There was a chance that the hospital simply needed Hinata too much to make a big deal out of her love life. Well at least to her face. Behind closed doors was likely another matter.

He sighs as though resigning himself to something. "Alright. I wouldn't keep you from your work as a medic, if that's what you want." He personally would have been quite happy to keep her hidden away in the District where Hinata wouldn't have to worry about the villagers, but that just wasn't who she was.

Hinata wanted to help people and being a medic let her do that. That and it would be wrong to ask her to give up her career as a ninja. The woman had trained hard to make herself strong and not every woman was content with the path his mother had chosen.

"You think that I'm being foolish." Hinata sighs as she looks up at him. "You think I should just stay in the District."

Sasuke shakes his head. "You're not the one being foolish." He was. Itachi was right. He really was foolish. "I should know better. As much as I'd love to do it, I know that I can't just hide you away in the District." It wouldn't be fair. "The village needs medics and you're the best medic in that hospital. I'll just have to learn to share."

Hinata nods and kisses his cheek, sighing softly in pleasure as her lover continues to caress her breasts underneath the blankets. "I'm glad that you understand." She looks at him almost apologetically. "Believe me, I want to. It'd be nice just to stay here and let myself be spoiled by the two of you, but it'd also be incredibly selfish."

That was true. It would be incredibly selfish. Though Sasuke couldn't bring himself to regret the thought. The three of them could be happy here. The rest of the world could fuck off as far as he was concerned.

"Well if you change your mind, you know you can stay here." Sasuke smirks at the sight and caresses her more. "And you know that we'll take _very_ good care of you."

Hinata more at the rather scandalous implication. "I'll k-keep that in mind." Sasuke wasn't exactly being subtle.

That blush really was irresistible, Sasuke decides. Ever since returning the Leaf, they'd had precious little time alone together. The three of them hadn't been able to enjoy each other as much as they had while traveling.

Their time together in the Leaf had been _tame_ in comparison to **that!** He could still remember everything in vivid detail. The taste of her kiss. The feeling of her soft curves in his hands as he took her against the wall. Her sweet moans and Itachi watching them.

"Good." He smiles and slides his hands away from her breasts. "I love you. You know that, right?" He was only torturing himself.

Besides, it wouldn't be right. Itachi wasn't here and they hadn't really discussed that particular aspect of their relationship. Was it fair to be with her, when the other wasn't around? He didn't really know and Sasuke didn't want to risk a row over that.

Hinata closes her eyes and snuggles against him. "I know." It looked like she was going to try to get some sleep.

"Good because **nothing** will ever change that!" He assures her.

The bluenette mumbles something unintelligible as she yawns cutely. Beautiful, Sasuke observes. She looked so beautiful right now, sleeping in his arms without a care in the world.

Exhaustion must be kicking in. A self-defense mechanism. Hinata likely wouldn't look nearly as peaceful when Itachi came back and told her about his meeting with Hiashi.

"That damn bastard." Sasuke growls. "He's lucky that Itachi went and not me." Hiashi had _hurt_ Hinata, after all.

That wasn't something that the youngest Uchiha was likely to _ever_ forget! He had cast aside his own daughter for the sake of appearing proper!

Itachi had been right when he decided that Sasuke should stay behind. Sasuke never would have been able to control his rage. He would have done something unforgivable. Itachi on the other hand, well maybe somehow he could reason with the patriarch.

"It's unlikely, but anything is possible." The young ninja sighs as he watches his beloved sleep.

She looked so peaceful now. It was so tempting. Tempting to seduce her into just staying in the District. Here the rest of the world couldn't hurt them, but sooner or later, she'd want to leave.

Hinata would need to leave. She wasn't the sort of woman who could sit idle for long. Her desire to help others was too strong for that and as much as Sasuke personally thought her staying in bed was _very_ helpful towards his recovery, he knew that Hinata had more practical matters in mind.

"It's hard to share an angel, sometimes." He kisses her temple as he settles in for some rest.

* * *

Itachi had lost track of how much time had truly passed, but he estimated about an hour. It took him an hour to find Hiashi's Study. He knew that it was Hiashi's because he could hear angry muttering inside.

The mutter was familiar. Familiar enough that the eldest Uchiha was able to determined that it did indeed belong to the Hyuga Patriarch.

With that in mind, he quickly heads inside. "I believe that it is time you and I had a discussion about Hinata." The door had been locked, but that was no matter.

Itachi wouldn't have been a very good ninja if something as simple as a locked door could keep him out of places. And despite everything, he prided himself on being exactly that. A good ninja.

"There is no need for us to discuss anything." Hiashi's eyes narrow. "Other than how quickly you are going to leave my family's home." He was angry and justifiably so, but so was Itachi!

"Tsukuyomi!" He activates his strongest Genjutsu.

The transformation was immediate. Suddenly, they were no longer inside Hiashi's Office, but in a red and black version of the Uchiha District. Unfortunately, it was one that he knew all too well.

"I knew that she was foolish to trust you, but I never thought that you would be this suicidal!" Hiashi's eyes narrow. "To attack me in the middle of my home! People will find out and you will be punished!"

Itachi shakes his head. No this wasn't an attack. Well at least not exactly.

"My intention isn't to attack you, only to remind you of a few essential facts." The other man circles around the pole that Hiashi was tied to. "The first of which is that in this Jutsu I control everything, even the perception of time and pain itself." His own eyes narrow. "That means if I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."

Hiashi seethes in outrage. "You're sealing your own doom." No. he was not. "I will not overlook this offense!"

He'd overlook it. Itachi would make him do so. Sadly, it looked like such an outcome was not going to be as easily achieved as he had hoped though.

"If I desired, I could kill you or turn you into little more than a vegetable." A cruel smirk adorns his face at the thought. "I know how to utterly destroy your mind, but that is not my intention."

Hiashi was fuming. The man had his pride, but the Hyuga in question obviously knew what was going on. He must have heard about Itachi's flare for Genjutsus.

That was hardly surprising though. Once, Itachi had locked Kakashi inside this very same Jutsu. The CopyCat Ninja had likely told others about the torture that Itachi had inflicted on him.

He did feel guilty about that in retrospect. "So you're intention was not to kill me, but merely to defile one of my daughters! To turn her into your plaything!" Itachi didn't necessarily feel as guilty about doing it to Hiashi though.

On one hand, his anger was understandable. Itachi likely wouldn't have been happy to discover his daughter had taken two lovers. On the other hand, the man had abandoned that daughter as soon as she did not meet his standards of what he considered to be proper behavior. That was something that Itachi wasn't entirely certain that he'd ever be able to forgive.

"She is **not** our plaything!" Itachi bites back a snarl. "Hinata is the woman that we **love** and while our relationship with her may be unorthodox, I assure you that it is consensual." Consensual and a very happy one!

Well other than the backlash that their Byakugan Princess was currently being subjected to. A backlash that he intended to minimize. By any means necessary!

"It is not natural!" He growls. "It's deviant for a woman to take two lovers. The reverse is true as well, but you've ruined her!" Itachi feels himself twitch and he had to fight down the impulse to punch Hiashi. "After the rest of the village discovers that you and your brother have marked her, no man would ever dare look at her again! She'll never have a husband! She'll never have a family!"

It took every ounce of his self-control not to do it. The patriarch obviously had a death wish. Did he not realize whom he was addressing?

The Uchiha could kill him with ease right now and yet, Hiashi couldn't bite his tongue. He supposed in some twisted way, this proved that the Hyuga man did care for his daughter. He cared enough to get upset, but that wasn't enough.

"That's mostly true." He shakes his head. "No other man will look at her that way, but that is because she will be our wife one day."

Hiashi's eyes widen in disgust. Ah. Interesting. So the other man did know about those old laws.

"If you are intending to invoke some sort of archaic laws to share her as your wife, forget it!" He snarls at Itachi like a rabid dog. "I will _never_ give my blessing!"

That meant little to Itachi. "Seeing as you have disowned her, your blessing isn't required and it wouldn't have been, even if you hadn't." What mattered was Hinata wanted to be with them. Hiashi's opinions were of no real significance to him.

The only reason why he had bothered with the patriarch at all was because of Hinata. Hinata loved her father and Itachi knew on some level, Hiashi felt the same way. It was just his damn pride that was standing in the way of them all being happy.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" The hatred in Hiashi's voice was positively venomous. "This is all your fault! You're probably manipulating the both of them!"

It was tempting to kill him. "Remember on this day, I could have easily killed you. I did not though." He glances at him. "You've disowned Hinata and while I would encourage you to reevaluate that decision, I can not force the issue. Though your Clan will not cause that woman more pain!"

Furious. Hiashi was absolutely furious. "You're the one that is causing her pain!" Perhaps to a degree, but not as much as Hiashi was. "She would still be a member of our Clan in good standing, were it not for the likes of you and your deviant brother!"

 _ **SMACK!**_ Itachi shouldn't have done it, but he couldn't help it anymore. "I will endure all your insults, but I will not have you insulting Hinata or Sasuke." That was the one thing he wouldn't tolerate. "The same goes for the rest of your Clan. Have them ignore her existence if you must, but if I hear of even one Hyuga issuing an unkind word or look in her direction…I will respond accordingly by returning the favor tenfold."

Itachi meant it as well. He wouldn't allow it. The eldest Uchiha wasn't going to allow Hinata to suffer needlessly over some misguided notions of modesty and propriety!

"If you leave now and never come back, we can avoid a Clan War." Hiashi eyes him. "Because if it comes to that, Hinata is the one who will suffer most. So get out of my sight! Demon!"

As much as it pained Itachi to admit it, Hinata's father was right. She was the one who would suffer most in a situation like that. He had no doubts that he and Sasuke would win any such war, but Hinata would lose her family. That would crush her.

"Very well." I'm glad that we have an understanding." Itachi releases the Genjutsu with a smirk. "You should ask Kakashi remind you as what usually happens to those unfortunate enough to be stuck in my Tsukuyomi by the way." He glances at Hiashi heads towards the door. "Just so you know, I never make idle threats." He was gratified to see that for all his bluster though, that Hiashi Hyuga was shaking at his knees as Itachi took his leave.

* * *

A short while later, Hinata awakens to the sound of a door being opened. Instantly she wakes up, with her hand on a kunai she had hidden in a drawer by the bed. She was just about to throw it, when she hears an amused chuckle.

"Relax, it's only me." Itachi! Itachi was Itachi! "And Sasuke was already awake ready to fire off a Chidori, if need be. You're perfectly safe here, Hinata."

She feels her face burn crimson red in embarrassment. She had almost thrown a kunai at her lover. Nevermind that he was Itachi Uchiha and it would take a lot more than a mere kunai to actually hurt him, it was the principle of the thing!

"He's right." Sasuke sits up. "I was about to fire off a Chidori." He kisses her cheek. "You should know that neither of us would ever let anything happen to you."

Hinata blushes more at the action. "I k-know, but someone was coming into our room at dawn's first light." That usually didn't end well. "My training kicked in."

Itachi chuckles and strides over to them. His every move was poetry in motion. Hinata had no idea how it was possible for anyone to be that graceful, but apparently it was.

"You never have to apologize for being a good ninja." He kisses her forehead. "You should know that."

Sasuke was watching Itachi warily though and Hinata knew that it wasn't because of jealousy. The three of them had made love together. So it wouldn't be very rational for Sasuke to get jealous over something as simple as a kiss to her forehead.

No something else was bothering him. Something far more curious than a chaste kiss and she knew what it was. Her father.

As if sensing her thoughts, Sasuke asks the question that was on everybody's mind. "How did it go?" He pauses and clarifies. "With Hiashi?"

Hinata gulps and feels her heart sink at those words. There was no way that Itachi's _discussion_ with her father had ended well. Though at the very least, Itachi wasn't covered in blood. That was something, right?

Her older lover would never stoop so low as to kill Hiashi in a rage, but that didn't mean that her father wouldn't attack him. And if that happened, Itachi would have been forced to defend himself. And that, wouldn't have ended well.

"He infuriated me, but that was only to be expected." Itachi sighs heavily as he looks at Hinata. "I may have slapped him, but he deserved worse than that. Suffice to say, he is not happy with our relationship." He takes a deep breath and continues on. "Though I doubt that your kin will give you any further trouble."

Hinata blinks. Itachi had slapped her father?! Oh Gods and Goddesses, her father was never going to forgive him for that!

Any hope of her ever reconciling with him suddenly looked a lot more dim. "You shouldn't have done that, but I understand." Goodness only knows what Hiashi had actually said to her lover. "What about my Clan though?"

Upon hearing that, Sasuke's arms wrap around her waist possessively. "Forget them." Though she probably should have seen that coming.

Hinata was quite certain that her younger lover had been sincere about inviting her to a life of pampering inside the Uchiha District. She didn't really have to leave, but the bluenette knew that she would at some point. If nothing else, she wouldn't give up her position at the hospital that easily.

"Sasuke, it's not that simple." Itachi sighs as he rubs his temples as though he were trying to ward off an impending migraine. "And you know it." Which he probably was.

This entire situation had to be enormously stressful on the both of them. For different reasons though. She doubted they cared much about what the village thought of them, but they were still sharing the woman they loved with another man. And with their brother at that!

"I know, but she doesn't need them. "Sasuke smirks her as he nips her ear. "She has us." Well that was true. "And if Hinata wants to be part of a Clan again, we can just revive our own."

Hinata squeaks at that and blushes ruby red. She knew exactly what Sasuke was implying with **that**! Of course, she always knew the topic would eventually come up. She had just never dreamed that it would be broached so soon.

Itachi rolls his eyes and pokes Sasuke's forehead. "Forgive him, Hinata." He chuckles. "You know how foolish my brother can be." He shakes his head at the other Uchiha. "I believe she's got quite enough on her plate to worry about without factoring children into the equation for awhile."

"You're right." Sasuke sighs and frowns at that thought. "I'm sorry, Hinata. I didn't mean right now, of course." Uh huh. "I just meant in the future." He smiles at her apologetically.

Right. In the future. How would that even work, she wonders to herself? Would they both want children with her or was that just Sasuke's dream?

It would be understandable, if Itachi didn't want any children of his own. After everything he'd been forced to do, Hinata wouldn't be shocked at all, if he preferred just to be an uncle. If they both wanted children though, how would they raise them? Would they even want to know who had sired which child (or children)? What would they tell their sons and daughters when they were older?

"It's a-alright." She stammers out. "Maybe, later." Hinata's head was now spinning with the possibilities.

What would it be like? To carry either of their children. What would they look like? Would they be boys, girls, or both? Would they only have one or many? And more importantly, how would such a child (or such children) be treated by the rest of the village?!

Itachi chuckles and looks at her reassuringly. "Yes, later." He smiles at Hinata. "Don't worry about such things. We have all the time in the world."

Sasuke nods in agreement. "That's true and don't worry about anything." He kisses the back of her neck. "We love you and you're safe with us. That's what matters most." Hinata nods in agreement.

Well that was true. Though she had no delusions. "That's true." Hinata was perfectly aware that her father would likely be far from the last person to raise objections over their relationship.

"I love you." At the moment though, she didn't care because she meant what she said. "Both of you." She loved them and in the end, Sasuke was right. That's what mattered most. The rest would get sorted out in time.


	22. Chapter 22

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter because it had some rather adventurous lemonade.

Chapter 22

Beautiful. She looked absolutely beautiful curled up against them in his bed. At some point, their princess had fallen back asleep. Which was just fine with Sasuke. It meant she was less likely to leave them in favor of venturing back into the cruel outside world.

"Sasuke, it seems that we have much to discuss in regards to our relationship with Hinata." That was true. "We need to establish some ground rules, it seems."

Ground rules? Why did it sound like he was in trouble? He had resisted the temptation to take her while Itachi was doing battle with the Hyuga Patriarch. He didn't deserve a scolding, damn it!

The younger Uchiha eyes his elder brother warily. "Ground rules such as?" This could potentially end very badly.

"Two issues immediately come to mind." Two? That didn't sound good. "The first is intimacy." Oh. Now, Sasuke new where this was going. "And the second is Clan Restoration." Or not.

Sasuke sighs as he kisses Hinata's cheek. He couldn't help, but feel a little guilty. Itachi had been right. After asking her to give up almost everything for them, it hadn't been fair to broach that topic with her! At least not yet.

"She had just lost her family in way." Sasuke sighs once again as he looks down at his most precious person. "I was trying to comfort her. I didn't mean that we had to begin immediately." His defenses sounded pathetic even to his own ears. "I was just letting her know it was an option."

Itachi shakes his head as though he was exasperated. "I know you mean well, but you have to be more careful about that sort of thing." He pauses an adds. "I can't blame you for wanting to start a family with the woman you love though. That's a perfectly normal desire and I'm quite certain despite your foolishness, you'll make a wonderful father."

With that being said, his brother pokes his forehead. "OWE!" Again!

"Are you ever going to stop doing that?!" Honestly, he wasn't a little kid anymore.

Itachi chuckles as though greatly amused by Sasuke's antics. "No. Never." Which he probably was. "Onto the issue of intimacy." Nevermind. The forehead pokes were probably a better idea!

Intimacy as Itachi called it was something that Sasuke was quickly growing addicted to. He didn't really mind sharing Hinata in that respect as long as she didn't protest about it. So he failed to see what the problem was unless Itachi wanted to put restrictions into place.

"I'm listening." It was probably best to get this out of the way as soon as possible.

His brother smiles at him in what Sasuke was sure was supposed to be a reassuring manner. "There are going to be times like last night when one of us is alone with her." Yeah. "And during those times either you or I may wish to be with her." Uh oh. "And I want you to know that if she also desires to be with you in such a fashion when I'm not with the two of you, I will not hold that against either of you."

Wait. What? Itachi sincerely didn't have an issue with him ravishing their little princess while he was away?!

"You mean it?" Sasuke blinks rapidly in confusion. "It wouldn't bother you?" Itachi really wouldn't consider it a betrayal of some sort?

Itachi nods his head in confirmation. "I mean it. Though I would like to know your thoughts on the matter." Oh. Well that was a bit harder to answer.

Sasuke would be a hypocrite now, if he said that he wasn't willing to accept it. He'd also be lying though, if Sasuke tried to deny the prickle of jealousy he felt at the thought of Itachi along with Hinata in such a way. For some reason, it was easier to watch them than think of them being together without him.

"It would be hard for me." The youngest Uchiha wouldn't lie to Itachi. "Though if you're willing to extend that courtesy to me, I should be willing to do the same for you." Sasuke smiles and runs his fingers through her hair. "Assuming that she wants to be with either of us like that without the other around."

He could easily envision a scenario in which this discussion had been for nothing. Hinata might be afraid to be with either of them without the other around. Afraid of being perceived as playing favorites.

Itachi nods in understanding. "Of course. Will I suppose time will tell." He smiles at him.

Yes, time would tell. Sasuke did know one thing though. He loved her and that meant that somehow they would find a way to make this work. Believe it as the Loser used to say!

* * *

It was precisely nine in the morning when Hiashi calls the Emergency Clan Meeting. The entire Clan knew that he was not a man prone to doing this for no reason. So that could only mean one thing. Either something incredibly good or horrific had happened.

"Thank you, all for coming so swiftly." Hiashi sighs heavily. "This day gives me no pleasure though you all have a right to know what has become of Hinata."

When Hanabi's eyes widened in horror, the Hyuga Patriarch winces. His daughters had always been close despite their former rivalry for the heiress title. Now, all that was about to change forever.

"Father, what happened to Hinata?!" Hanabi breaks protocol to demand.

This one time, he would overlook it. Her loyalty to her sister was a rather admirable trait. Normally, it was something he encouraged and now, that encouragement was likely going to cause them both no end of suffering.

He takes a deep breath as he tries to strengthen his resolve. "It seems that Hinata has decided to leave our Clan." Suddenly, there were gasps of shock and howls of outrage.

His Clan was usually a quiet and dignified one. Hiashi had made certain of that, but not today. No, today the emotions were running too high for that. Again, Hiashi Hyuga was willing to overlook that for today, given the circumstances.

That didn't mean he wouldn't reign them in though. "QUIET!" He needed to ensure that they knew the truth. "The reason why is because she has chosen to be courted by the Uchiha Brothers." He tries to steel his resolve. "Both of them and they have entered a relationship. Our Clan can not tolerate such behavior and thus, I was forced to disown her."

Hanabi's eyes widen to the size of saucers. While she was still young enough that she might not entirely understand the situation, his youngest daughter apparently knew enough.

"Father!" She races up to him. "Please, don't do this! I'm sure that she'll come to her senses soon!"

He sighs and embraces the girl. He had hoped that would be the case as well. That was why Hiashi had given Hinata several chances to redeem herself. She had spat on all of them.

"I'm sorry." He kisses her forehead. "It gives me no joy to do this, but I'm afraid that Hinata's senses may never return to her." Hiashi had lost one daughter and made the other cry. "You're now the heiress to our Clan. " Had his wife lived, she would not be pleased with him on this day.

Still, there was nothing for it. Hiashi Hyuga loved his daughters, but he was also a man who cared deeply about his Clan as a whole. His Clan's reputation would be destroyed, if they had such a wanton woman amongst their ranks. (The same would have been true had Hinata been a man, but Hiashi digressed).

"Y-Yes, Father." Hanabi looks up at him with silent tears threatening to spill forth over her young face.

He hated them! The Uchiha Brothers! This was their fault! They were the ones responsible for Hinata's banishment and Hanabi's tears!

* * *

A short while later, Hinata wakes up. She woke up cocooned in warmth. A feeling that she was coming to associate with waking up by the Uchiha Brothers.

Their Clan would likely forever be associated with fire and for very good reason. Not only did they possess the same destructive force of the element, they were also warm and passionate just like it. And when they wanted to be, they were also very gentle. Offering protection and light in the face of darkness.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke looks at her with concerned eyes as her eyes slowly flutter open.

In this case, that darkness was the judgment of her family. Her father would never forgive her and the rest of the village would likely scorn her now. They would also scorn the brothers as well.

It seemed that no matter what she did, Hinata only ended up causing them both pain. Perhaps, if she had been able to choose between the two of them…things would have been simpler. Hinata couldn't bring herself to do it though. She loved them both.

As Hinata was debating the matter, she didn't realize at first that Sasuke had asked her a question. "Hinata?" Or that Itachi was now calling out her name.

"She's either half asleep or panicking." Sasuke sighs as he looks at Itachi.

Itachi shakes his head. "More than likely, it's a combination of both." He glances at Sasuke rather slyly. "Shall we rouse her from her slumber and distract her from all her concerns?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Sasuke smirks.

At that moment, Hinata slowly realizes what must have happened. "What sounds like a good idea?" She had been lost in her own little world and must have missed what they said.

 **Warning Lemon**

Itachi glances at Sasuke and the younger Uchiha seemed to take that as some kind of cue. He shifts underneath the bed a bit and after a moment, Hinata notices him throwing his pants and boxers off to the side.

"Oh!" So that's what they meant by a good idea.

Hinata blushes at the thought as Sasuke lays on his back and pulls the bluenette until she was laying on top of him. To make her blush bloom even faster though, Itachi quickly follows suit. Discarding his pants and boxers just as quickly as Sasuke had. Only this time, Hinata could see the result.

"We've decided to distract you from your troubles for the time being." Itachi smiles at her as he captures her lips in a heated kiss.

Well that was a very good distraction, Hinata muses as she returns the elder brother's kiss and squirms at the feeling of Sasuke underneath her. Particular the sensation of his rapidly hardening arousal poking her backside.

The cloth of her kimono might have separated them from skin to skin contact, but not from the memory of what it was like. What it was like to have them both inside her. The very thought was making her wet.

"Better to do the Jutsu now, My Love." Itachi breaks the kiss to whisper hotly into her ear. "Because you're about to be thoroughly fucked."

His dirty words made her cheeks burn, but Hinata quickly complies with the request as Sasuke opens up her kimono. She was still wearing it, but most of her body was exposed to Itachi's appreciative view and Sasuke's wandering hands.

"He's right." Sasuke tilts her head to the side long enough to kiss her. "If you want it, I want to watch him make love to you. To come inside you." His hand drifts over the valley of her breasts and the ton plans of her stomach. "And then I want to bend you over the side of this bed and make you cum so many times that the only thing you'll remember is our names and how to beg for more."

Hinata's face couldn't possibly get any redder at his words. Apparently, Sasuke must have been taking lessons from Itachi when it came to Bedroom Talk or he was a natural at it. "I'd like that." Either way, it was probably wrong but his words only excited her more.

Itachi laughs softly as his hands roam her breasts suggestively. "I believe my brother is becoming something of a voyeur." Maybe, Hinata kinda liked it though. "Why don't we give him a show? I want you to wrap that pretty little mouth of your around me and suck me off while Sasuke watches."

Before Hinata could really respond to that, she felt Itachi brush his erection against her breasts until it was at her mouth. She blushes at the obvious implication, but does as he asks.

Itachi groans as he bucks lightly against her mouth and caresses her breasts. "I can see why he enjoyed this so much last time." God it felt good to have sucking on his cock.

She was shy and her movements were a bit uncertain, but it felt ridiculously good. Her mouth was hot and wet wrapped around him and it took every ounce of self-control he possessed not to slam into her wonderful mouth.

"I know. She's good at that." Sasuke smirks as his hands slide further south until they rested between her thighs. "And already dripping wet for us."  
Itachi smirks at that thought as he thrusts against her breasts and into her mouth. Their little princess liked being watched it seemed. Good to know.

"Make sure to get her even more wet for us then." He groans in pleasure as he thrusts a bit faster, reveling in the feeling of her soft breasts against the sensitive skin that she hadn't quite managed to fit inside her mouth yet. "Make her cum for us."

Sasuke saw absolutely no reason to reject that request. So he rubs her womanhood slowly and deliberately. He felt a surge of masculine pride at the fact that she was already so wet for them.

"Don't worry." He purrs with satisfaction as he slides two fingers inside her and toys with her pearl. "I will."

He saw Itachi shiver slightly as he pulled away from Hinata. It seemed like Hinata and Sasuke weren't the only ones getting overly excited.

Itachi smiles as he kisses Hinata briefly before caressing her breasts. "Do you like it when he touches you that way?" He flicks his tongue against a perky nipple. "Do you like it when I play with your breasts like this?"

Hinata moans as she bucks against Sasuke's talented hands and Itachi's wicked mouth. "Y-Yes." And she wasn't lying.

He sucks gently on the nipple before releasing it with a loud pop. "Good because I'm going to take you while he watches and then, Sasuke will have his chance to please you." Hinata shivers and nods dumbly as she rides Sasuke's fingers.

Sasuke watches with hooded eyes. There was something disturbingly alluring about the sight of Itachi seducing Hinata. Maybe, his brother was right. Maybe, he was a voyeur.

He slides his fingers out of Hinata as she starts to buck against him more wildly. "You're close." Sasuke smirks. "Aren't you?"

To which Hinata issues a shy nod. "Yes." Her beautiful blush had spread from her cheeks to her breasts again.

Always a lovely sight. "Do you want something bigger? Why don't you show me where you want me?" Itachi kisses her heatedly.

Hinata moans into the kiss and shyly gripes his cock, gently guiding it to her entrance. She couldn't believe that she was doing this. Any of this. It was all so wanton, but it felt too good to resist.

"Need you now." She whispers.

Itachi smiles at her. "Good because we always need you." He murmurs as he slides inside her.

Hinata gasps and moans at the sensation of being so full again. She blushes as she is pushed back against Sasuke. The silky kimono making her slide against him and his own erection readily apparent.

"God, you're beautiful." Sasuke tilts her head enough to kiss her as Itachi began slowly move inside her, making Hinata moan into the kiss.

Itachi groans in pleasure at being joined with her again. Hot, wet, and tight and she was moaning so sweetly for them. Her breasts bouncing with every thrust as Sasuke's mouth claimed hers in a display of pure trust and lust.

He slides in and out of the sweet paradise between her thighs slowly. Savoring every moan and touch. He couldn't resist groping her ample breasts as Sasuke deepened there kiss and Itachi continues thrusting inside her.

"Does it feel good?" Sasuke whispers between heated kisses.

Hinata moans and arches against Itachi. "Y-Yes! Oh Gods and Goddesses, yes!" Sliding her hands underneath Sasuke's shirt.

Neither brother had bothered discarding them before hand. She liked that though. They wanted her so badly they couldn't even fully undress before having her.

The slow and sensual pace was making her moan and Sasuke's words were lighting a fire in her belly. "You going to cum for me, princess?" Itachi's words only further added to it. "All over cock?"

Sasuke smirks at that as he rubs her clit while Itachi thrusts inside her faster and faster. "I-ITACHI!" Every thrust made her moan and feel like she was flying.

"Don 't hold back, Beautiful." Sasuke purrs into her ear as he grinds his erection against her ass. "I want to be inside you too."

One final powerful thrust and those words were enough to send her spiraling over the edge. "I-ITACI!" The elder Uchiha wasn't far behind as he spilled his own release inside her, almost immediately afterwards.

It took a moment or two for him to have enough presence of mind to pull out. "If you think you can handle it, princess, I know that Sasuke has eagerly been awaiting his turn to make love to you."

Hinata blushes scarlet and nods. "He's right. I want you to bend over the side of the bed." Sasuke smirks as he gets off it.

To his delight, she soon does exactly that. "Such a good girl." He lightly swats Hinata's backside in approval, revealing in the fact that her kimono had slide all the way off of her now and onto the floor. "And already dripping wet for me."

She squirms and blushes at his words, but looks over her shoulder, nodding at him. The sight was an erotic one, Itachi notes. Hinata bent over the bed. Her breasts brushing against the blankets, with her backside fully exposed. He could easily understand why Sasuke had wanted to try this position.

"Yes." She whispers as he Sasuke grinds his erection against her slick entrance. "Always."

Sasuke smirks as he squeezes her bottom. He could see why Itachi had always appreciated Hinata's charming ASSets so much. He was still a Breast Ninja himself, but this view was also exquisite.

"Glad to hear it." He slides inside her. "How do you always feel this fucking good?" Practically snarling pleasure at the feeling of being inside her again.

Itachi watches with crimson red eyes as he sits on the bed, stroking his own arousal. It was swiftly returning at the sight of the other man bending Hinata over the bed in such a wonderfully wicked way.

"I've wondered the same thing myself." He groans as he continues stroking himself. "Though I've decided to stop questioning it."

Sasuke nods in agreement as he kisses the back of her neck and moves inside her. There would never be anything better than making love to their little Byakugan Princess he decides.

The warmth of her skin against his own. Her sweet moans. Itachi watching them. How fucking tight she felt wrapped around his cock! It was all perfect.  
"Make sure to moan my name." He smirks as he fondles her breasts roughly with one hand while rubbing her clit with the other. "Remind the wildlife in the District who you belong to." Wet. She was so wet. "Me and Itachi. As we belong to you."

Hinata moans as Sasuke takes her against the side of the bed. Unlike Itachi who had been slow and sensual, her other lover's thrusts were more wild. She could feel every inch of him inside her as the force of his thrusts make her breasts bouncing harshly against the silky fabric of the blankets.

"I like it when you take her like this." Itachi smirks. "Watching her breasts bounce and her ass wiggle around as you thrust inside her." If Hinata had suspected Sasuke might be a voyeur, Itachi was definitely one. "And judging by her moans, she likes it as well."

Sasuke caresses her breasts slowly and deliberately as he slams into her faster and faster. "As you said, might as well give you a show." He growls in approval as he lightly bites down on Hinata's shoulder and swats her backside again.

Hinata moans and squirms underneath him. "S-ASUKE!" Oh Gods and Goddesses!

"She's such an obedient princess." Itachi smirks as he strokes himself faster. "Screaming your name just as you told her to."

It was hard not to. She could feel him so deep inside her as they moved as one. His muscles against her back. His breath against her neck. His hands on her breasts. It all felt so good!

"Yes, she is." He rubs her clit faster. "I'm going to cum!"

She was in ecstasy. "Me too!" Hinata screams as she came hard and fast with Sasuke soon joining her.

Sasuke pants as he tries to catch his breath while admiring the beautiful sight of Hinata bent over the bed. Idly, he notes that Itachi appeared to have found his second release of the night as well.

"We're definitely going to have to change the sheets." The younger Uchiha murmurs as he slides out of his lover and pulls the soiled sheets off of it. "But I'd say that it was more than worth it."

 **End of Lemon**

"We can always wash the sheets later." Itachi smirks. "My foolish little brother is right. It was more than worth it." He pokes Sasuke's forehead affectionately.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at his brother as he helps Hinata onto the bed and cuddles to her. Itachi was Itachi. Sometimes one just had to learn to accept certain facts of life like that.

"Mhm." Hinata sighs with contentment as she cuddles up to her lovers. "That was wonderful."

Her heart was still pounding, but in a good way. Suddenly, it was a lot more tempting just to hide away in the Uchiha District. She had two gorgeous and very attentive lovers. What more did she really need.

"Yes, it was." Sasuke smirks as he kisses her. "It always is."

Hinata smiles and returns the kiss, before kissing Itachi as well. "Yes, always." Though as much as she was enjoying the pampering, Hinata knew the truth.

This was just a temporary reprieve. One way or another, she was going to have to face the judgment of the Hidden Leaf Village and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"You're thinking too much about them." Itachi tsks and shakes his head. "Do you need us to distract you again?"

Upon hearing that, Hinata squeaks. "I d-don't think that's a good. You're both very vigorous with your affections and I'm still getting used to everything."

Sasuke shakes his head and kisses her temple. "Don't worry, Hinata." He smiles at her. "We're not complete animals. At least, not all the time." He smirks.

Itachi was also smirking and Hinata gulps at that knowledge. It was at that moment, that the bluenette knew one thing with absolute certainty. It was going to be awhile before they ever got around to washing those sheets!

Clearly, Sasuke and Itachi had other things on their minds besides washing the dirty laundry. Which was just fine with her. Such mundane matters could wait, when you had two gorgeous lovers at your side. Who were in desperate need of her love and affection. Something that she was more than willing to provide!


	23. Chapter 23

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews and to one of the reviewers who pointed out today is Sasuke's birthday. I wasn't going to include another pitcher of lemonade in this chapter, but well I think we can squeeze one in considering that. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter because this is a very special brand of lemonade. That may be a bit exotic for a few readers' taste.

Chapter 23

Slowly, but surely Hinata was getting used to it. She was getting used to what it meant to be the Uchiha Brothers' lover and for everyone in the village to know that.

"Itachi, do we have any flour?" Hinata calls out.

Her life was now a strange series of contradictions. The Hyuga woman found herself with one foot in two worlds. The District and the rest of the Leaf Village and the two worlds couldn't be anymore different.

A moment later, the sounds of footsteps could be heard as the elder Uchiha Brother makes his way into the kitchen. "Yes, we do." He smiles and kisses her cheek. "Bottom drawer on the left, My Love."

"Why do you always put everything I need on the bottom." She shakes her head as she bends over to get it. "Wouldn't it make more sense to put those things on the top?!"

Smack! "No." Itachi smirks after swatting her backside. "I quite prefer putting them on the bottom." Hinata yips in surprise and grabs the flour before turning around and mock glaring at Itachi!

That pervert! He had set this up on purpose! He just wanted to watch her bend over!

"Bad Itachi, bad!" She shakes her head in disbelief.

Itachi just smiles and kisses her forehead. "Well actually, it was Sasuke's idea to put it on the bottom." He caresses her cheek with one hand as he sets the flour on the kitchen counter top. "Genius, really. I'm really proud of him."

Speaking of Sasuke though, that reminded her why she wanted the flour in the first place! It was Sasuke's birthday today! She was baking him a cake!  
"I'm sure you are." She shakes her head in disbelief. "You're really turning him into such a deviant!"

Itachi smiles places several soft kisses along her neck as he pushes her against the counter. "I would argue that I'm just bringing out his natural talent and really, you shouldn't be so modest." He laughs softly as he bites down lightly on her collarbone. "I'm sure that that beautiful body and those sweet moans of yours had a lot more to do with it than I did."

Hinata mews cutely at that and tilts her head to the side, giving Itachi full access to her neck. It wasn't as though there was really any point in hiding the lovebites he was bound and determined to give her.

As she was thinking, it couldn't be anymore different. Here she was constantly ambushed with kisses and "Sneak Attacks." The sexy kind. In the rest of the Leaf, that was far from the case though.

"Maybe." She sighs in pleasure. "Itachi, I really need to get this cake done before he comes home from the Academy."

There were those who were disgusted or at least scandalized of course, but public opinion remained split. Some people were rather perplexed or even curious about the whole affair. Still, there were others who thought it was rather romantic or erotic and occasionally tried to ask Hinata about her relationship with the two brothers, particularly the more intimate aspects. Most of the time though, the worst she was subjected to were whispers or dirty looks.

Her lovers weren't too happy about those, but Itachi and Sasuke were trying their best to turn over a new leaf. She had a feeling that it was mostly Itachi that kept Sasuke from Chidoring anyone who was "foolish" enough to give her a dirty look. She had caught them discussing the matter more than once in their time together.

 _"Sasuke, believe me I understand your frustration." Itachi shook his head._

 _Her younger lover was bristling like an angry housecat or about to roar like a rather furious lion in Hinata's opinion. Sasuke was absolutely livid about something._

 _He gave his brother a dirty look for that comment. "We've been together for weeks and they still look at her that way." That thought made Hinata wince from her behind her hiding place. "They gossip about us. About her."_

 _That was true and Hinata knew it. She did her best to ignore it, but it was still painful. Sooner or later, she was sure that the villagers would get over the initial shock and leave them to be happy with one another without the whispering!_

 _"We knew that was going to happen." Itachi poked his forehead. "Foolish little brother, if you swat every annoying insect, you'll have precious little time for doing anything else."_

 _Sasuke grumbled at the forehead poke, but it seemed to do the trick. "You're right." He nodded. "We have far more important things to worry about. I'll go and draw us up a bubble bath for when Hinata gets home." She had gotten home early that day, but they didn't know that._

 _"Now, that sounds like an excellent idea." Itachi laughed. "She does adore our baths together." Yes, that was most certainly true, but who could really blame her?_

A nice hot relaxing bubble bath with her two gorgeous lovers. That sounded perfect in Hinata's mind and she was right. The bath that had followed had been absolutely perfect.

"Oh right." He nods in understanding. "Of course." Itachi suddenly smirks. "Well don't let me distract you."

That was easier said than done though. Gods and Goddesses, the Uchiha Brothers could be **enormously** distracting when they wanted to be! This was especially true when Uchiha Pouncing Mode had been activated!

Uchiha Pouncing Mode. It was real! Whenever Hinata saw Itachi's eyes bleed crimson red and Sasuke's Rinnegan and Sharingan activate, well she knew what was going to happen next! Pouncing which of course would lead to them making love on the nearest available hard surface! Over and over again!

* * *

Hiashi sighs as he sips his tea, after spending the day training with Hanabi. He was now alone in his office, but that wouldn't be the case for long. The Hyuga Patriarch had summoned Rei to join him.

"You wanted to see me, My Lord?" The young Hyuga woman looks at him as she walks through the door. "I was told that you did."

He nods and gestures for her to sit down. "Awhile ago, you brought me some rather unpleasant news." Upon hearing that, Rei opens her mouth to protest…but Hiashi cut her off. "Which while deeply distressing was also necessary for me to hear."

She merely nods at that. The poor girl likely had no idea where he was going with any of this. That was fine though. Hiashi would explain it to her soon enough.

"Hinata has been disowned from our family." The thought still made him wince. "Which means we have a new slot available in the Main House." The Hyuga Clan liked to keep a relatively even number of Main House and Branch Members. "I would like for you to have it." Thus Hinata's banishment meant there was indeed an opening.

The Branch Member covers her mouth in shock and gasps. "Do you mean it, My Lord?" Not that he could blame her. He had just given her, her freedom. "Truly?"

Hiashi nods in confirmation. "I mean it." He wouldn't have said it, if he didn't. "We'll undo your Seal in the morning. For now, you may go and celebrate your good fortune in whatever manner you see fit."

Rei bows to him and smiles. "Thank you, My Lord." A smile of true happiness. "You won't regret this! I promise." He nods in understanding and waves his hand towards the door, dismissing the girl.

He had done his duty, Hiashi thinks to himself as he watches Rei go. The Hyuga Patriarch had done what was necessary to protect their family and that was that. It didn't matter how painful such a thing was for him.

"Well that is that." He sighs.

* * *

An hour later, Sasuke makes his way back to the District from the Academy. He and Itachi were trying their best to assimilate back into the Leaf Village for Hinata's sake. That meant hiding away in the District all day wasn't a wise idea. Thus he and Itachi had both gone back to being Ninjas of the Hidden Leaf.

 _"The District looks beautiful." Hinata smiled._

 _Sasuke smiled back as he caressed her cheek. "Not nearly as beautiful as you, though it does look a lot better." And that was true._

 _It had taken them awhile to restore the place to its former glory, but the three of them managed. Well with some help from Team Seven and Taka. No longer did the Uchiha District look like a graveyard. It was now a beautiful neighborhood again._

 _The bluenette smiled and blushed at that. "Thank you, but I have been thinking." Uh oh. Almost nothing good ever came after that phrase. "You and Itachi are better now. You should find something to keep you occupied while I'm at the hospital."_

 _Oh that. Well he and Itachi had been doing exactly that by patching up the District. Though it looked like Hinata had a far more permanent idea in mind._

 _"Uh huh?" Perhaps, not his most articulate moment, but that was mostly due to the feeling of dread that had settled in his stomach. "What did you have in mind?"_

 _"Well I have been talking to Naruto and the medics at the hospital." Hinata giggled at his forlorn expression. "He's pulled some strings to get Itachi into the Medic Training Program and Iruka Sensei needs some help with the Academy."_

 _Sasuke blinked. "You want Itachi to become a medic and me to become a what?" The idea was ludicrous on its face. "To become a teacher?!"_

 _Hinata nodded and looked up at him with those gorgeous bubble eyes of hers. "Yes, I do. I think it'd be good for the both of you to have something to do while I'm at work and it'll go a long way towards making everyone accept you again." Maybe. Though he wasn't particularly eager to find out, if that was indeed the case._

 _Still, he couldn't help, but ask. Why did she want him anywhere near the Academy. That seemed a rather illogical decision at best._

 _"And why am I the Academy Instructor in this equation?" Obviously, he wasn't going to be a medic, but a teacher? "That and how on Earth is the Loser supposed to explain this to all the concerned parents who will surely be beating down his office's door?"_

 _Hinata just smiled at him serenely. "Because you like kids and it will help them to see you in a more gentle role." Well that was true. "As for Naruto, he can handle it. After all, no angry parent is worse than Madara Uchiha."_

Sasuke had been forced to concede that was a decent point and that was how had ended up as an Academy Instructor. Itachi had also followed Hinata's wishes and become a medic with her at the hospital. It seemed that there really wasn't anything their Byakugan Princess couldn't talk them into, he muses as he walks into their house.

"Hinata!" He calls out. "Itach!" Sasuke looks around. "I'm home!"

It took a moment for him to get an answer, but soon enough he hears Hinata's voice. "We're in the kitchen!" Sasuke nods at that answer and swiftly makes a beeline towards the kitchen.

The first thing that he noticed was the cake. Hinata had made him a beautiful birthday cake complete with chocolate frosting with some red frosting roses on it. Written in whip cream was the phrase, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SASUKE! It really was beautiful, but it couldn't hold a candle to the sight of Hinata in that apron.

 **Warning Birthday Lemon**

Sasuke had never really liked pink before today. Though the sight of his beloved wearing only a pink lacy kitchen apron and nothing well, well that had him suddenly appreciating the color in a new way. Though that might have been because her back was towards him and he could see her charming bare backside facing him.

He didn't see a bra on her slender back either. She was completely naked. Sasuke feels one eye bleed ruby red and the other turn an otherworldly s hade of lavender as it was activated.

"Well that didn't take long." Itachi chuckles. "Uchiha Pouncing Mode has been activated as Hinata calls it." Damn fucking straight it had!

He smiles and wraps his arms around Hinata, nuzzling her cheek. "The cake looks beautiful, but I'd rather eat you." It was sweet.

She had made him a birthday cake. He hadn't had one of those in a long time. Sasuke didn't really like sweets, but it was the thought that counted. Oh and hmm…that can of whip cream looked like it could be very useful.

"Sasuke." Hinata giggles.

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "I'm glad you're back. Do you have any idea how hard it was not to just to fuck her against the counter or bend her over the kitchen table while she was parading about in that apron?" Oh Sasuke was sure something was hard alright.

"Yes, I'm sure that you've just suffered so much!" Sasuke rolls his eyes at his brother. "Hinata, why don't you help Itachi out of his clothes and play with his cock. Ease some of that tension." He blows hot air into her ear. "I'm sure he'd appreciate it. You do have such a soothing touch."

Hinata blushes and nods as she quickly saunters over to the table where Itachi was already sitting down. The bluenette slowly tugs his shirt over his head as Itachi kicks off his pants and boxers quickly.

It didn't take her long to find his throbbing erection. "Mmm. I'm sorry for teasing you." It would have been hard to miss really, she muses as she kisses him hotly and strokes his throbbing cock in her hand.

Sasuke smirks at the sight of Hinata kissing Itachi and playing with his dick like she owned it and he supposed in a way, the Hyuga woman did. In their time together, Hinata had transformed from a sweet, innocent sex kitten into a tigress. Though there were still some very kitten moments here and there.

He had already grabbed the can of whip cream and already lathered his hands in the sweet, sticky substance. She never saw it coming.

Sasuke was sure of that as he got behind her and slid his hands over her breasts which were covered only by the apron. "S-Sasuke!" And now a coating of whip cream that he was making sure to apply to those gorgeous breasts as thoroughly as possible.

Itachi chuckles as he thrusts into her hand. "It seems Sasuke was not kidding when he said that he'd rather eat you." Gods and Goddesses, her hands felt incredible.

So was the sight of Sasuke lewdly fondling her breasts underneath that thin layer of lacy fabric. Itachi could already see Hinata's nipples getting hard. Such a wonderfully responsive woman. Always so eager for their touch.

"Your nipples are already hard." He smirks as he pushes the top of her apron down, revealing those perky cream covered breasts. "You love it when he plays with his breasts that much, don't you?" Itachi flicks his tongue against a nipple, making her moan as he quickly discards the rest of the apron.

Sasuke smirks at that as he slides one hand between her legs. Delighting in the fact, she was already wet. "And she's dripping wet again." That thought made dick throb even harder. "You were thinking about this, weren't you Beautiful?" He rubs her womanhood, covering it with more whip cream.

Itachi watches with amusement and desire as Hinata blushes. Even after everything they had done together, she still blushed. It was rather endearing really.

"Y-Yes." Hinata squeaks as she bucks against Sasuke's powerful hand between her legs. "I w-was." It felt so much better than her own.  
With that thought in mind, she kisses Itachi hotly and continues stroking him. She knew what was coming and her entire body was shivering with anticipation at the very thought.

Sasuke rubs her nipples with his free hand and pumps two fingers inside her. "I can tell. You're already so wet." His voice thick with lust. "Why don't you tell us exactly what you thought about?"

Hinata moans into the kiss and breaks it long enough to answer her second lover. "I thought about the two of you. T-Touching me everywhere." Itachi captures one of her breasts in her hot mouth, making her cry out in pleasure.

Itachi tugs on a nipple with his teeth. "I'm afraid you'll have to get more specific, My Love." Hinata moans more and Sasuke nods in agreement.

He quickly discards his clothes and covers his cock with the whip cream. Not that Hinata had noticed that yet. That would come soon. Very soon.

"Did you imagine sucking on my brother's cock while I fucked you with my tongue hard enough to make you cum?" Itachi murmurs before sucking on her breast lightly. "Or maybe you imagined one of us bending you over the counter and the other watching?"

"B-both." She blushes as Sasuke turns her around, gesturing for her to follow him towards the bedroom. "Sasuke?" Hinata looks at him in confusion as she slowly follows him.

She was dripping wet. Hinata could feel her womanhood throbbing with desire and that made following Sasuke to the bedroom rather awkward. Even more so because Itachi was doing the same and had decided to squeeze her backside every step of the way.

"This is easier for what I had in mind." Sasuke smirks as he lays on the bed and pulls Hinata on top of him.

The bluenette blushes as she realizes that she was now eye level with his arousal. That didn't stop her from wrapping her mouth around his whip cream covered cock and sucking on her new treat though.

"Beautiful." Itachi murmurs with appreciation as he gets behind her parts her legs. "What more could my foolish little brother ask for than our beautiful princess sucking so lovely on his cock?" He laughs as he laps at her womanhood.

Hinata moans and squirms. "Oh God!" She could feel Itachi's warm, rough tongue licking the cream off of her. "I-Itachi!" The bluenette mumbles around Sasuke's arousal as she continues sucking him harder and faster.

Sasuke groans and throws his head back in pleasure. Fuck! Itachi had a point. There were few things better than the feeling of Hinata's lips wrapped around his dick like that. Well other than being inside her and watching her cum.

"Feels so good." He growls with approval. "Don't hold back. I want to watch you cum all over his tongue and then I want to watch you ride me."

Itachi smirks at that as he continues licking Hinata's soaked womanhood. She always tasted so sweet. The whip cream wasn't necessary, but he didn't mind it. It did add something special to this rather unique round of lovemaking.

"Okay!" Hinata blushes as she takes more of him into her mouth.

She had gotten better at this. Handling both of her well endowed lovers in this way. Hinata could tell because it was taking less and less time to watch them spill their release or nudge her away from them to prevent themselves from doing so.

It was too much. The sight of Hinata bobbing her head up and down the length of his cock and Itachi licking her. The sounds of her sweet moans and her scent. The feeling of her mouth against his arousal. It was all too much and not enough at the same time.

Sasuke somehow managed to wait until he hears Hinata cry out. " OH GOD! YES! YES!" Itachi's tongue had apparently worked its magic.

That's when he nudges her away from his arousal and smiles at her. "Do you want to try something different?" Upon hearing that Hinata tilts her head in confusion.

"I thought we did that with the whip cream?" She was still half covered in it. "What do you mean?"

Itachi smirks as he grinds his arousal against the curve of her ass. "I believe that my brother is asking, if you want to take both of us at once?" Hinata blushes deeply at his question and nods her head shyly.

Sasuke nods in confirmation. "Only, if you feel comfortable with it." He kisses her breasts. "Mostly, I just want to be inside you."

Hinata blushes at that as she maneuvers until she was positioned at the tip of his erection. It was something she had thought about. She had just never really had the courage to voice her curiosities about such a thing. Half afraid they'd be jealous and half afraid of the mechanics, but apparently that least the former part of that equation wasn't actually an issue.

"Relax." Itachi kisses the back of her neck soothingly. "Don't we always take excellent care of you?" Well that was true. "I'll make sure to thoroughly prepare you."

She nods at that as she leans down and kisses Sasuke while slowly sliding onto his arousal. "AH!" It felt so good to be joined like this.

"Beautiful." Sasuke looks up at her adoringly as he caresses her backside. "Now, ride me. I want to see those perfect breasts of yours bounce around as you ride my cock and Itachi takes you."

Hinata blushes at his words, but slowly nods as she rocks against him. "Ah!" It felt so fucking good as he began to thrust inside her. "S-Sasuke!" So deeply inside her that it made her scream!

Itachi sprays a lot of whip cream onto his fingers while Hinata was distracted. This had to be handled delicately. Though the sight of her riding Sasuke was a glorious one and rather distracting.

Sasuke groans in pleasure as he thrusts up into her tight heat. "You feel so fucking good." Every single time.

Hot, wet, and tight. They always fit together so perfectly and the fact Itachi was about to take her from behind, well that was even more erotic in his mind. He was suddenly looking forward to his birthdays a lot more than he ever had before!

Itachi slides a finger inside Hinata's back entrance, causing the woman to gasp and moan. Deciding that was a good sign, he begins pumping his finger and out of her in an effort to make it easier for her to accommodate him.

"So do you!" Hinata moans as she slams herself onto her younger lover while leaning back against Itachi's talented hand.

Lewd. It was very lewd to let him touch her there, but it felt surprisingly good. She squirms at the feeling as Itachi adds a second finger.

He covers her back in kisses as he teases her more. "You look so beautiful right now. Riding him and practically begging for my cock."

His words made her face burn bright crimson, but she couldn't really deny the truth of them. So she just shyly nods as she kisses Sasuke and moans while she rocks against him desperately.

Sasuke returns the kiss eagerly as he watches Itachi slide his fingers out of perhaps Hinata's most forbidden place. Neither of them had taken her that way before. Possibly because the traditional method felt so good and definitely because they had been afraid of startling her. It seemed those fears were unfounded though.

"Are you ready?" Itachi whispers hotly against her ear.

Hinata nods shyly. "I t-think so." She was so brave, trying to handle both of them at once.

Itachi watches her for a moment, looking for any sign that her bravery might be a facade. Finding none, he slowly buries himself inside her. Groaning at the feeling.

"How does it feel?" Sasuke asks as he fondles Hinata's breasts and slams inside her. "Itachi?"

Itachi groans in pleasure as he slowly sheathes himself inside her. Thrusting slowly. Not wanting to cause her unnecessary pain.

Though the answer to that question was undeniable. "Exquisite. You should try it this way." He smirks as he lightly bites her neck and Hinata moans as she rocks against them.

She was practically drowning in a sea of desire. Between the feeling of Sasuke being buried in her womanhood and Itachi being buried in her ass, her entire body was practically humming with pleasure.

"Mmm I might." Sasuke smirks as he nips her nipple playfully. "She seems to like it well enough."

"AH!" She squirms against them. "I-Itachi! S-Sasuke!" Wanting more of this feeling.

Sasuke groans in pleasure as he continues burying himself deep inside his lover. Loving the way her breasts bounced with each thrust and the sounds of her moans. Paradise. This was paradise and he was so close!

The three of them were moving as one now. Which surprised him. It seemed that they understood each other instinctively.

"Are you going to cum for us, princess?" Itachi growls into her ear as he begins taking her faster and faster.

She felt so good wrapped around him. Itachi supposed he should have seen that coming really. It was as if she was made for them. Just for him and Sasuke.

It wasn't lost on him how beautiful she looked with her hair draped over her shoulders and back as he took her from behind. The way her back would arch and her breasts would bounce with every moan as she seemed to revel in the feeling of being with both of them at once.

"Y-Yes!" Hinata screams in pleasure as Itachi and Sasuke both slammed into her one final time, before sending them all over the edge! "Oh God, yes!"  
"Hinata!" Itachi scarcely recognized his own voice as he spilled his release inside her.

Sasuke arches underneath the beautiful woman as his orgasm overtook him. "Hinata!" It seemed that he was just as lost in pleasure as Itachi was.  
The rest of the day passed in a blur of pleasure. Heated moans and tangled limbs. Each brother made love to her and ravished her with equal ferocity. Over and over again.

By the time their lovemaking was over and the brothers had finally slide out of her, Hinata noticed that the stars were shining brightly in the night sky. They had spent the better part of Sasuke's birthday in bed.

 **End of Birthday Lemon**

"Well Sasuke, how was that for a birthday present?" Itachi chuckles.

Sasuke pants as he tries to catch his breath and he cuddles up to Hinata. "Fucking fantastic!" And that was the truth.

Hinata laughs and shakes her head in amusement as she kisses them both. "Yes, it was." She smiles at her lovers. "Are either of you hungry?"

Itachi nods and smirks. Well there was no point in letting such a wonderful cake go to waste. After all, Hinata had worked so hard on it.

"Yes, why don't you go get Sasuke's cake and we can have that for breakfast?" He smiles at her slyly as Hinata nods and bounds off to get the cake.

* * *

If he had his way, every day would be like Sasuke's birthday. Just the three of them. Together in the Uchiha District and enjoying being with their most precious people.

Unfortunately, the world didn't work that way. Itachi thinks to himself with a sigh. In just a few short hours, they'd all have to return to work.  
"What are you thinking?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

Itachi pokes his forehead in response. "Foolish little brother, I'm thinking that we all have to go to work soon." The glare that elicited from Sasuke was priceless.

"That is annoying, but we'll be back home soon enough." Sasuke nods. "For now, let's just have some cake."

Itachi nods in agreement. Little did he know, that their sensual daily routines were about to be interrupted in a big way. Because Kakashi had just received a request for Hinata to help the Sand Village set up a medic training program. A request that would take her away from her lovers for a month!


	24. Chapter 24

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I wanted to clarify any potential confusion about Hinata's "type." In this story so far, Hinata has only really been attracted to three men. Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi. So when they say her type is a powerful and quiet ninja with a tragic past, they're mostly accurate. The only description that doesn't fit for all of them is quiet (for Naruto). Oh and obviously, she's not going to be attracted to every ninja who fits that description. This is firmly a Sasuke x Hinata x Itachi story. With that being said, I hope that clears up any confusion and happy reading!

Chapter 24

On some level, Sasuke knew it was irrational. He knew that, of course. That didn't help though. That didn't make him feel any less well _homicidal_!

"Sasuke, Itachi, don't look at me like that." Kakashi dares himself to glance up at the two furious Uchihas. "Really, the both of you should be happy for Hinata. This is a great honor in a way."

A great honor?! Well it might be a great honor, but it was a great honor that was stealing away _**his**_ princess for a month! A month!

Hinata shakes her head and kisses her lovers' cheek. "I'll miss the two of you more than you'll ever know, but it'd be selfish to refuse the request." Well then they could be selfish together! "The Sand really does need a medic training program."

That might be true, but Sasuke didn't understand why she had to be the one to drive it! Couldn't they find _anyone_ else? Anyone else who didn't leave him breathless with their beauty, their sweet touch, and drive away his nightmares? (And who as a bonus, could cook)?

That cake had been surprisingly good. He didn't often indulge in sweets, but he knew that much. Wait. He was getting off track here!

"Well I suppose that Kakashi is right." Itachi sighs as he looks at Sasuke. "It is quite an honor to have a Kage acknowledge one's skills in such a fashion."

Pft! Kageness meant nothing to Sasuke at the moment! He had attacked the Kage Summit!

He had been starting to like the red head, but oh no! Gaara just had to go and steal his princess away from him! For a month!

The younger Uchiha feels himself twitch at the very thought. How the Hell was he supposed to go four whole _weeks_ without his lover's touch?! And even more annoyingly, why was Itachi being so calm about this?!

"Well at least he waited until after your birthday?" Hinata laughs nervously as she rests her head on Sasuke's shoulder. "It's not that long. It's less time than you were away." And now, his beloved was going to use logic against him?!

Oh that was not fighting fair! Really, what could Sasuke say to that?! He had been away for months and before that, the Leaf Ninja had kept his feelings for her a secret for years!

Sasuke sighs as he caresses her cheek. Maybe, he could talk her out of this. "Kakashi could send someone else?" That was true. Surely, there had to be another medic that could be sent in Hinata's place!

"It would be considered quite the slight to send someone else, when he specifically asked for her." Kakashi shakes his head as if Sasuke was being a difficult child. I know that the three of you have grown close and this does cut into the betting pool by quite a bit, but the alternative is not appealing."

Gaara had specifically asked for Hinata. That made Sasuke's eyes narrow at the thought. He was going to have to talk to Itachi about this when they were alone.

Was it possible that the red head was trying to steal Hinata from them? That would explain why the Kazekage was so insistent that Hinata be the one to help with the Sand's training program.

Itachi pokes Sasuke's forehead and gives him a stern look. "I'm not anymore eager to go a month without her than you are, but we need to be supportive of her career." He smiles and kisses Hinata's cheek.

The bluenette smiles and then kisses Sasuke's. "Don't worry. I won't be gone that long." She smiles at him reassuringly. "I'll always come back to the two of you. You know that."

If anyone else had said that to Sasuke who wasn't Itachi or Naruto, he wouldn't have believed them. He did believe _**her**_ though. His angel wouldn't lie to him!

"Alright." He sighs and embraces her tightly. "Just hurry back."

There was really no point in sending letters, he muses to himself. Three days to and three days back meant that they could only realistically send one a week. That'd only be four letters.

"Kakashi, what was that about a betting pool?" Itachi raises an eyebrow at the Hokage. "What are you betting on and how exactly does it pertain to our relationship?"

Oh right! That was a good catch! What was his perverted former instructor up to now?!

"Oh it's nothing important." Kakashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Why don't you two go help Hinata pack for her mission?"

That had to be the most pathetic diversion tactic that Sasuke had ever seen used. Whatever. Maybe, it was better not to know about the pool.

"Fine." He takes Hinata's hand in his own and kisses it. "The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back.

Itachi smiles and nods in agreement. "That's true." And with that, the two of them leave the Hokage's Office together.

* * *

Sasuke was holding Hinata's hand and Itachi had one arm slung over her waist and over her ass. It was about as intimate as one could get while walking without being too scandalous.

Of course, Sasuke knew better than that. The mere fact that both of them were walking with Hinata was going to set everyone's tongues wagging. Not that he cared.

She was their princess and that was that. "We'll prepare a most wonderful Welcome Home Celebration for your return." Sasuke is vaguely registers Itachi's comment.

This village would not be standing, if it wasn't for Itachi and even him. Their side wouldn't have won the war, if Sasuke hadn't helped Naruto. Two facts that far too many villagers were all too eager to forget.

"That sounds wonderful." Hinata smiles at them.

Thankfully, the village had accepted the truth about the Uchiha Massacre. Unfortunately, any of the newfound acceptance Itachi might otherwise be enjoying right about now had been overshadowed by the "scandal."

Apparently, this village could get over someone killing their entire family to prevent a civil war. What was a harder road for them to travel though, well two men loving the same woman. They _really_ needed to sort out their priorities, Sasuke thinks to himself rather bitterly.

* * *

The next day, Hinata wakes up to Sasuke's heated kisses and Itachi's roaming hands. The blunette moans into the kiss and arches against Itachi instinctively, even though she knew that she shouldn't.

That was a bad idea. If you gave Itachi and Sasuke an inch, they would try to take a nation. Forget about miles!

"Are you sure you want to go?" Sasuke whispers between kisses. "Couldn't they send someone else?"

They apparently were going to make this very difficult. Hinata had foolishly thought Itachi was going to be reasonable yesterday. That had been proven very wrong last night.

Both brothers had spent the better part of the night utterly and thoroughly seducing her. It was really a wonder that she could even remember her own name at this point!

She shakes her head and sighs. "You know that wouldn't be wise." Hinata needed to put her foot down. "And as you said yesterday, the sooner I go, the sooner I can come back home."

Itachi nods at this as he runs his fingers through her hair. "Well that's true." God, that felt good. "It's just hard to let you go."

It was even harder to leave though. Hinata sighs as she kisses them more once more and slowly makes her way off of the bed. Thankfully, she had managed to get dressed at least.

The last thing she needed was for Uchiha Pouncing Mode to be activated because she had to bend over to find some clothes. Which had happened more than once. It was the easiest way to get Itachi to pounce actually. Though Sasuke occasionally "fell" for that one as well.

"The Sand is lucky that you're going to help them." Sasuke nod as she grabs her traveling pack. "There's no better medic in all of the Leaf."

Hinata laughs at that. "I think Lady Tsunade and Sakura would disagree." Her lovers roll their eyes at that.

She knew it was for different reasons though. Itachi was obviously biased in her favor and well, Sasuke was Sasuke. Hinata wasn't really sure what her younger lover felt towards Sakura.

The bluenette knew that he didn't love her. That much was obvious. Guilt, friendship, or disinterest were her best guesses. It was strange how he could be so open about some things and yet, a complete mystery about others.

"A woman who loves her sake too much, has a gambling problem, and will suffocate you with her inhumanely large bosom is better than you?" Sasuke scoffs at the very thought. "I think not."

Hinata laughs and kisses him. "Mmm. I thought you liked larger breasts." He had always seemed rather fond of hers.

Itachi chuckles and shakes his head at the entire scene. "Oh he does. Believe me, he does." His eyes were now dancing with unsuppressed mirth. "Though there is a limit."

"Exactly and Sakura is just as likely to punch something these days as to heal you." Sasuke grumbles as he rolls his eyes more.

Well that explained that. The younger Uchiha didn't know how to handle his former teammate's newfound strength and aggression. Maybe, that was why he preferred her. Maybe, Sasuke had just had enough violence in his life and wanted someone "softer."

"He has a great deal of respect for her." Itachi clarifies as if sensing her unease. "It's just she makes him feel guilty." He shrugs.

Sasuke twitches and swats Itachi. "Shut up!" Boys would be boys, she supposed.

It was still good to know, she supposed. Though it did amuse her that Itachi didn't see any reason to argue with Sasuke's descriptions. That meant that he was probably more in agreement with Sasuke than not about the matter. Interesting.

"Be nice to each other while I'm away and I'll nice to you when I get back." Hinata laughs.

"Well if that's the case, I suspect that we can manage." Itachi smirks. "It's only a month, after all."

Sasuke nods as he watches Hinata head towards the door. "Stay safe." He sighs at the thought of her leaving. "We really wish that we could go with you."

"I know. I'll be back soon though." Hinata promises and with that, she saunters off.

* * *

A few hours later, Itachi watches in amusement as Naruto attempts to cheer Sasuke up. Thus far, his attempts were failing in a rather spectator fashion. Still, they did provide the elder Uchiha with a badly needed distraction.

"Don't worry, Bastard!" The attempts also brought up some very interesting questions. "She'll be back soon." Like why did Naruto call Sasuke a Bastard, if they were friends?

The reverse was also true, he noted. His foolish little brother often called the blonde less than flattering names as well. Loser and Idiot were definitely amongst his favorite things to call Naruto though.

Sasuke swats the other ninja for that. "That's easy for you to say. You aren't the one whose lover is leaving for a month!"

It was adorable in a strange way. Sasuke was actually sulking about the entire thing. Not that Itachi was any better off on the inside, but still.

"Owe!" Naruto glares at Sasuke. "Stop hitting me." He pauses an adds. "So um what's that like?"

Uh oh. Itachi knew where this was going and it wasn't anywhere good. He was going to have to step in here and minimize causalities.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at his friend's question. "What's what like?" Oh boy. This wouldn't end well.

"Well you know being with someone like that?" Oh good. It was just a general question. They might be safe. "Especially, sharing them with someone else." Or not.

Sasuke twitches at that. "You're such an idiot!" So Itachi swiftly maneuvers until he was between the two of t hem. "I can't believe that you would even ask me that!"

Neither could Itachi for that matter. "Well to answer your questions, Naruto, it varies on the individual." That was putting it mildly.

Intimacy could range from a terrifying experience to wondrous depending on numerous factors. The most important of which was being who your partner was. And then, there was the second part of the blonde's question.

"Well yeah." Naruto flails around in exasperation. "That's not saying much though! I mean I knew that."

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "Then why did you ask, if you knew?" Well that was a fair point.

Despite that, Itachi understood. Naruto was young and he was curious. Hell, many of the older members of the Hidden Leaf Village were speculating day and night about their relationship. So why would the blonde be any different?

"Well I wanted to know what you thought about it, Bastard!" Naruto grumbles. "I mean you've never even looked at girls before and now you're in love with Hinata and so is Itachi?"

Yes, he had felt the same way at first. Itachi had truly only ever intended to teach Sasuke how to get Hinata's attention. Things obviously, he hadn't gone according to plan though.

Sasuke sighs, apparently deciding that answering Naruto was somewhat mandatory. "Like Itachi said, it's different for everyone." It was so much fun to watch his foolish little brother squirm, Itachi muses. "Being with Hinata though is addictive. Imagine, if you liked something better than Ramen."

Naruto blinks and stares at his friend in utter amazement. Itachi couldn't help, but chuckle at the sight. He doubted his friend could think of anything he liked more than Ramen…so in a way, Sasuke had chosen the perfect example.

"Better than Ramen?" Naruto looks up at Sasuke with stunned eyes.

Sasuke nods in agreement. "Yeah. Better than Ramen." He pauses and adds. "As for the other part of your question, it's complicated. I couldn't do it with anyone else, other than Itachi though."

Itachi nods in agreement. He couldn't do it either. The mere thought of someone else being with Hinata in such an intimate fashion was more than enough to have his eyes bleeding red. Only Sasuke. That was the only other person who was worthy of Hinata in his opinion.

That was part of the reason why he was so anxious about Hinata going to the Sand. He didn't like their princess being away from them because someone was obliviously going to notice her.

He didn't believe for one moment that Hinata would ever bee unfaithful to them. That didn't mean that other men wouldn't try to seduce her though. Itachi suddenly really, really hoped Hinata didn't have a secret thing for red heads.

"Oh. Well that makes sense." Naruto laughs nervously. "I don't think that I could do it, you know?"

Itachi nods in understanding. "It's certainly not for everyone." In order to enter such a relationship, one would have to be really secure in their partner's love and not overly possessive."

"Yeah." Sasuke looks at Itachi. "Do you think Gaara will make a move on her?" And you had to understand both of your "partners" completely.

It was times like these when Itachi wondered, if perhaps the Rinnegan allowed Sasuke to read minds. How was it possible that his brother had known with such ease what had been on his mind? Did Sasuke really just know him that well?

"It'd be unlikely." Though red heads were rather sought after. "Lord Gaara is still finding himself. Is he not?"

Naruto blinks and breaks down laughing. "Oh man! You guys really do have it bad!" He couldn't stop laughing. "Gaara's not going to hit on Hinata!"

Itachi feels himself twitch. How could the blonde be so certain? Apparently, he had never actually really looked at their princess!

"And what makes you think that?" He fumes. "He does seem to be the type of man she is most attracted to."

Naruto tilts his head to the side in confusion. Really? The man couldn't be that oblivious, could he?

Apparently, he could. "How do you figure?" Yes. He most definitely could.

"He's a powerful and quiet ninja with a tragic past." Sasuke glares at Naruto. "Does that sound familiar to you?!"

The blonde blinks as he processes that. Itachi could practically see Naruto connecting the dots in his mind.

He looks at them in an almost apologetic way. "Well yeah." The sapphire eyed ninja was now obviously uncomfortable. "When you put it like that, it does kinda make sense."

Kinda? Pft. That was putting it mildly. Obviously, Naruto had never been in a serious relationship before if he was this naïve!

* * *

Elsewhere Rei was heading to the hospital. She was going to speak with Sakura today. The Hyuga woman had a plan to ensure that her Main House Status would remain permanent.

"Oh sorry!" She purposely bumps into the pink haired woman on "accident." "I should have watched were I was going better!"

It was more likely than not, that her status wouldn't be revoked. Still, Rei had to be sure. At the moment, she could see Hiashi was wavering a bit. It was obvious that he would have preferred to have Hinata back in their Clan, but he couldn't invite her back unless she broke things off with at least one of the brothers.

They weren't married at the moment and they didn't have any children. The village would likely whisper about Hinata's relationship to them forever, but Hiashi might be willing to overlook it. He might be willing to overlook that, if Hinata finally did the "right thing."

Sakura smiles at the woman who bumped into her. "It's alright." Alright. Her target was now in her sights. Rei now just had to reel her in.

The "right thing" in this case would be for Hinata to leave one or both of them, but Rei was going to ensure the bluenette never got the chance to do so. And there was one surefire way of doing precisely that.

"I'm really glad that I bumped into you though." Rei sighs heavily.

A baby. If Hinata had a child by either of her brothers than there would be no going back. That meant that it was in Rei's best interest to encourage Hinata towards the path of motherhood.

Unfortunately, there were few ways that she could do this directly. It wasn't as if she could force them not to use the Jutsu or anything, but she could encourage Hinata.

"Really?" Sakura blinks in surprise. "How come? Are you hurt?"

She shakes her head. "No. I just know that you're really close to Hinata." It was now or never.

The medic was really close to Hinata. That meant if Rei could get close to her, she could get close to her former Clanswoman. Which was all just part of the plan.

Sakura's eyes narrow. Oh. Hmm. Perhaps, she should have phrased that better. Now, the pink haired woman probably though that Rei was about to insult Hinata.

She had several colorful insults for the spoiled princess, but that was besides the point. "It's just ever since she was disowned, I've missed her." Rei tries her best to smile convincingly. "And I wanted to make sure that she's alright. It's forbidden for me to speak to her though."

That seemed to the trick. Rei notices that Sakura relaxes considerably after hearing that. Thank goodness.

"Oh she's doing really well." Sakura sighs. "Considering everything. People can be so cruel sometimes." At this, Rei just nods in feigned sympathy.

Well it was a start. She would just have to be patient. Sooner or later, Hinata would do something foolish and make a permanent rift with the Clan. Something that could never be overlooked. Rei would make certain of it!

* * *

Meanwhile Hinata sighs as she begins her trek towards the Sand Village. She wasn't the only medic going, of course. So at least she wasn't alone.

Still, she felt like she was alone. Her relationship with the Uchiha Brothers made her both a pariah and the subject of envy. No one really knew how to talk to her.

"Three days of this." She mutters under her breath.

She could still be lounging in bed. Sandwiched between her lovers. Cocooned in their loving embraces, but no. Hinata had to go to the Sand.

It was flattering that Gaara thought so highly oft her. Truly, it was. Though she knew the truth. When she got home, Hinata would be dealing with some very frustrated Uchihas.

Uchihas who had grown accustomed to a certain level of attention. "Yes, three days." And likely were going to pounce her as soon as she got home.

For a moment, the words of her traveling companion didn't register. Hinata had been too lost in her own thoughts. Eventually, they did though.

"Have you ever been to the Sand before?" She dares herself to look at the other woman.

Hinata didn't know her well. That was probably why she was willing to talk to her actually. That or maybe, it was just an automatic response that one would give to anyone who commented on such a thing.

"No." The other woman answers simply and that was the end of the conversation.

Hinata sighs as she continues walking alongside her "comrades." Being away from Itachi and Sasuke was hard enough. Being surrounded by people who wanted nothing to do with her though, that was even worse in some ways.

"Well there's no point in sulking about it." The young woman mutters.

They were both right. The sooner she left, the sooner she'd be back. Back to their loving embraces.

It was still a strange contradiction. Entering the Uchiha District was like entering a completely different world. There she was the center of their universe. Outside the District though and people barely tolerated her at best.

"There is a border town about half a day's journey from here." The bluenette vaguely hears someone say. "If we keep up a good pace, we'll get there by nightfall."

Hinata nods as she remembers that border town. Well it would be better than having to make camp with this sour lot. At least then, she might get her own room and not be the subject of all their stares.

With that thought in mind, she continues on with a slight bounce in her step. Hinata would get through this. Somehow and return to her lovers. Then everything would go back to normal. Well as normal as anything ever was in the Uchiha District!


	25. Chapter 25

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. For those of you interested, I updated the Author's Note in Chapter 24 to explain more about Hinata's Type. To the Guest Reviewer who wanted a Sasuke x Hinata x Gaara Story, maybe. That wouldn't be for awhile though as I have so many stories going on at the moment. Anyway, I hope you guys all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** I've decided to grant at least some of the Gaara requests that I've seen mentioned in the reviews. I'm warning everyone though, the Hinata and Gaara scenes are likely going to be very hit or miss. Though once again, this is still firmly a Sasuke x Hinata x Itachi story. Sorry, Gaara.

Chapter 25

Three days later, Hinata was in the Sand Village. Not only that, she was getting a personal tour of the Sand's Hospital by the Kazekage himself. The bluenette was certainly flattered by the attention, but she didn't understand why she was getting signaled out.

"Our hospital is understandably smaller than the Leaf's." Gaara smiles at her. "That's mostly because it's serving a smaller population. Not many people choose to withstand the desert climate, if they aren't born into it."

Hinata nods in understanding. It was hot. She'd almost argue that the Desert Sun was burning down on them hotter than the flames of lovers' Amaterasu's.

"Well it is beautiful." She looks around. "I take it you rebuilt it after the war?" There was a certain elegance to it that didn't exist in the Leaf's hospital. That and everything was well shiny.

Shiny and new. The hospital certainly stuck out in the Sand Village. The Sand seemed to have an almost primal feel to it. Somehow a village felt ancient. It was as if it had existed for thousands of years, even though she knew that wasn't the case.

Gaara nods at her assessment. "Yes, the war was good for that. Destroying things and motivating people to rebuild them." That was true. "Speaking of rebuilding how are the Uchiha Brothers doing, particularly Sasuke?"

Oh! So that's why, Gaara asked for her specifically. He wanted to know about Itachi and Sasuke and more likely than not, the red head already knew about their relationship. So it was only natural that he would seek out her opinion.

"In general or specifically now?" She giggles at the thought.

She could picture it now. Sasuke was probably sulking like a cat that had its catnip taken away. Itachi was probably brooding silently while trying to keep his brother calm. Hinata really hoped that no one was foolish enough to annoy either of her lovers at the moment because that just wouldn't end well.

Gaara raises an eyebrow at the giggle. "Well both, I suppose." He probably thought she was half crazy to be giggling about a question like that.

"In general, they're doing amazingly well." Hinata smiles at him. "At least when we're in the District together, but they're still adjusting to everything else." That was an understatement, but there was no need to alarm the Kazekage. "And if I may speak honestly, neither of them is too happy that I was assigned on this mission."

The Kazekage was a smart man, but he was also a man whose childhood had been one of isolation. Hinata wasn't entirely sure, if Gaara understood anything about romantic relationships. So he might not realize that summoning her here would upset them.

Those seafoam green eyes look around the hospital hallway briefly. "Because they miss you." Probably checking to ensure that they were indeed alone.

Hinata nods. Alright. Maybe, the red head knew more about romantic relationships than she had given him credit for. Then again, the bluenette should have expected such a thing. After all, Temari was now dating Shikamaru. So it wasn't as though Gaara had never seen people date before.

"Yes." There was no point denying that. "Because they miss me."

Gaara seems to be pondering that for a moment. At times like these, the Hyuga woman really wished that she could actually read minds. She couldn't tell exactly what the Kazekage was thinking, but she knew that it was important. Somehow.

"And you miss them?" He tilts his head innocently.

Hianta smiles at the innocent question. "With all my heart." Who would have ever thought the Kazekage could be so naïve about the world? "It's normal to miss the people that we love, when they aren't around. They're always with us though." She places her hand on her chest. "In our hearts."

He nods at this. An emotion flickers in his eyes rather quickly. Hinata almost didn't have time to identify it because it was gone so fast, but it was one she knew well. Desire.

Uh oh. She should probably get out of here. Gaara didn't mean any harm. Hinata was sure of that, but she didn't want a war to break out between her lovers and the Kazekage!

Between the two of them, Sasuke was the most explosive in his temper. Hinata knew that, but Itachi was just as possessive of her. No matter how powerful Gaara was, that was a fight that he wouldn't survive. He'd never beat them both at the same time.

"When I first met Sasuke, it was at the Chunin Exams." Gaara watches her, seeming to sense her panic. "He was the first person that I ever felt a connection with besides my uncle. Our eyes were similar."

Hinata blinks at that. She didn't know how to interpret that. That sounded so incredibly sad and sweet at the same time. "Yes, I remember the fight between you and him inside the Arena." With a terrifying vividness.

"He was a killer like me." Gaara shakes his head and sighs. "Sasuke had a purpose, like me. He wanted to prove his existence was stronger than someone else's." The red head sounded guilty about his former bloodlust. "Of course, I didn't know about Itachi back then, but I could tell he wanted the same thing I did in a way."

Maybe, she had read his intentions wrong. Gaara didn't sound like he wanted to flirt with her. More like he was concerned for Sasuke?

"Gaara, you two aren't the same people anymore." She sighs and caresses his cheek. "So you don't need to dwell on the bad times."

The red head smiles at her. "You can tell a lot about a person by their eyes." He nods at her as if this was a very profound statement. "His eyes were sad while he was here. Now, I know why. He missed you." And apparently, it really was a profound statement.

Gaara had a wonderfully simplistic way of talking that was very moving. It was probably one of the reasons why he had been chosen to be Kazekage at such a young age.

"I suppose that's true." Hinata nods.

He smiles at her. "You have kind eyes." The red head's eyes trail over her form appreciatively. "And you're beautiful. I can see why he cares for you." That was very nice of him to say, but suddenly Hinata felt like she should excuse herself again.

Hinata nods at him in understanding. "Thank you, but I really should be getting back to the others." The sooner the better.

She turns to leave. Hinata wasn't naïve. She knew that it was important to get of there before Gaara did something that was suicidal.

"Still, I confess myself curious about such things." He grabs her hand and pulls Hinata back towards him. "Sasuke doesn't strike me as the sort who would share much with others. There must be something very special about you." Well that was accurate. "So just once. So I know what it is."

Just once? Just once what?! And before Hinata knew what was really happening, Gaara was kissing her!

 _ **SMACK!**_ Hinata reacted on instinct and smacked him. As soon as she did it, she regretted it.

* * *

Back in the Uchiha District, Itachi shakes his head as he watches Sasuke. Sasuke was in their garden. Their mother's garden that he had revived so tenderly.

As a rule, Itachi tried his best to avoid the garden. It reminded him too much of Mikoto Uchiha and his last memories of his mother hadn't been pleasant.

 **Warning Itachi's Massacre Memory**

 _"I'm sorry." Itachi whispered as he headed into his parents' bedroom._

 _They must have know what was coming. They were sitting next to each other with their backs towards them. So resolutely._

 _Never once did they turn their heads back towards him. "So it's come to this then." Fugaku sighed._

 _Nor did either of them tremble or flinch. It occurred to Itachi that they had done this on purpose. Decided not to face him at this moment. Perhaps, they wanted to lessen his guilt in whatever small way they could._

 _That or they didn't want to look their eldest son in the eye as he killed them. Either way, he found himself grateful. Though that didn't change the fact this had to be done._

 _"I'll make it quick." He could grant them that much at least._

 _Danzo had made it perfectly clear what had to happen. His Clan had to die. It was the only way to prevent war, but he had never said_ _ **how**_ _they had to die._

 _If Itachi wanted to, he could kill them both easily with one strike each. They'd be dead before they even realized it. There was no need for either of them to suffer. They could go to their deaths with grace and dignity._

 _Mikoto's voice never wavered. "Such a kind son." Kind?! He was going to kill them. "Promise me, that you'll watch over Sasuke."_

 _Itachi nodded. "I will." He felt the hot burn of the tears that promptly streamed down his face at that request._

 _That was it really. That was the end of his parents. Once strike each and they had both fallen to the ground. Like China Dolls. Beautiful, but easily broken because they had never put up a fight._

 **End of Itachi's Massacre Memory**

To this day, it struck Itachi how similar Mikoto had been to her garden. Beautiful, but then "winter" had come and destroyed it. In this case, that winter was him or perhaps the Leaf Village as a whole.

He knew that what he had done was the right thing and if push came to shove, Itachi didn't delude himself. He would have done it again. A few hundred lives needed to be sacrificed to avoid a war that could have killed tens of thousands of people. It was more than a fair trade.

The fact that he was the one who lost those people, that shouldn't be factored into the decision. "You're doing it again." Sasuke's voice snaps him out of his thoughts.

"I'm doing what again?" Itachi forces himself to smile.

Sasuke just shook his head. It was likely that his brother could now see through his feigned ignorance with ease. His foolish little brother was no longer the adorably naïve boy who had believed all his lies with ease.

No. Sasuke was a man now. He was also a man who was deeply in love and missing his most precious person. Sasuke was also a very powerful ninja who was capable of leveling entire villages. This was a bad combination.

"You're remembering before." Sasuke looks at him. "Don't torture yourself."

Before was their way of saying it. Before Hinata. Before the truth was revealed. Before they had finally reconciled. Before. It was an important world to each of them.

Before was a dark time. A place that neither of them willingly visited, but it was also a sneaky place. One that could sneak up behind either of them before either of them had any idea what was happening.

He sighs and nods. "You're right." There was no point in lying to Sasuke about such things.

Sasuke knew what it was like. He still struggled with some of the very same demons Itachi faced. There was perhaps no one else on the planet who better understood what he was going through than his own brother.

That's when Itachi notices something shiny in Sasuke's hand. "Well still don't torture yourself like that. I don't want it, Hinata doesn't want it, and I doubt our family would have wanted it either." Which momentarily distracts him.

"Sasuke, what's that in your hand?" Itachi blinks as he reaches for it, but Sasuke quickly hides it behind his back.

Hmm. That was interesting. What was his foolish little brother trying to hide from him now?

Well that just made him want to know what it was more. "Sasuke, let me see it." And thus, any resistance on Sasuke's part was utterly futile.

The simple fact of the matter was that Itachi was just as much a goal-oriented individual as Sasuke was. When he wanted something or had a task to complete, he was going to do it. And nothing would stop him. Not even his precious baby brother!

* * *

"Father, couldn't we forgive her?" Hanabi pleads with Hiashi back in the Hyuga District.

More specifically, they were inside his study and he was currently facing one of his worst nightmares. His younger daughter on a mission. It seemed that Hanabi's love for Hinata was more than enough to override her common sense.

Didn't she understand why this had to be done? There was simply no other alternative! Their Clan's honor was at stake!

He sighs as he rubs her temple. "The only way that I could consider it, is if she broke things off with at least one of the brothers." Preferably both.

Oh how he hated those two. They had stolen his eldest daughter away. Not only that, they had stolen his heir away! Thankfully, he had two daughters. Otherwise, their Clan would have been thrown into complete chaos!

The lines of succession had to be drawn clearly. If there was no clear path, then a power struggle would erupt. Power struggles could only end in one way. Blood.

Hyuga Blood. Lots of Hyuga Blood. Obviously, this was not an acceptable outcome. So Hiashi was doing his best to maintain some semblance of order!

"Father, she loves them." Hanabi pleads with him.

He doubted that. Hinata probably thought she did though. Hiashi Hyuga doubted that the bluenette was the sort of woman who would give up her family lightly.

Itachi Uchiha was a genius and a master manipulator. He had played his part perfectly. His part as the villain. Did that man even know who he was anymore? He had played that role to such perfection, that Hiashi found the answer to that question well uncertain at best.

The Hyuga Patriarch sighs at Hanabi's begging. "That may or may not be true, but she chose them over us, Hanabi." It was most unbecoming of a Hyuga woman!

"She didn't choose them over us!" Hanabi snaps at him.

Honestly, that surprised him. Hanabi had never dared to raise her voice at him before. While she was certainly the more boisterous of his daughters, he had always thought the girl respected his authority as absolute. Until now.

He feels himself twitch. "She most assuredly did." Hiashi sighs as he looks at his youngest daughter with tired eyes. "If she hadn't, Hinata would still be with us now."

"She's not with us because you forced her hand!" Hanabi half screams at him.

"Hanabi, I realize that you're upset." She had a right to be. "But you are not to address me in that tone!" That didn't mean that he was going to tolerate such behavior.

He was the Head of this Clan and that meant Hiashi's word was to be respected. More importantly though, he was also her father. Hanabi's rebellious behavior needed to be dealt with now.

"Or what?! You'll disown me too?!" Apparently, she didn't want to be reasoned with though. "Then you'll be without an heir!" And before he could answer that outrageous comment, his youngest daughter an out of his room like a bat out of Hell.

"Damn them!" Hiashi slams his fist into the desk.

He couldn't believe this! Not only had Itachi and Sasuke stolen his eldest daughter away from him for a life of deviancy. Now, they were causing a rift between him and Hanabi! Unforgivable!

* * *

Sasuke glares at Itachi as he snatches the ring. That sneaky bastard! He loved his brother. Sasuke honestly did, but the man needed to learn to take no for an answer.

"A wedding ring?" Itachi blinks as he looks at it.

Well there was really no point in hiding it now. Sasuke merely nods. He was going to talk to Itachi about it later, but the sneaky bastard had already seen it.

"Yeah." He sighs and shakes his head. "There's a second one that's identical to this one."

Itachi raises an eyebrow at that. "Someone has been researching this topic a great deal." That was true.

Sooner or later, Sasuke did want Hinata to be the official Matriarch of their Clan, but such a thing required marriage. Which was supposed to be between two people, but apparently there were some loopholes.

"It's still legal." Sasuke eyes his brother warily. "For someone to have two spouses. It's on the books." That was true.

Sasuke had checked, double checked, and triple checked to ensure the law was still sound. He didn't want to find out it had been overturned at some point and have at least one of their marriages invalidated.

"I'm aware of this." Itachi pauses and shakes his head. "I just didn't think it was prudent to propose to her while she was adjusting to everything."

Itachi had known about this?! "What else were you aware of?!" Why did he always have to keep secrets from him?!

"Many things, Sasuke." The elder Uchiha Brother smiles as he pokes his forehead. "It's only natural that I would discover such things before you. I am older."

Right. Well he supposed that made sense. Moving on then.

"Do you think she'd say yes?" Sasuke knew that Hinata loved him, but if she went through with this there was no going back. "Her Clan would never forgive her."

Part of him hoped that Hiashi would get over his fury and forgive Hinata. Not that Hinata had done anything wrong, but he wasn't happy about separating her from her family.

Itachi glances at the ring and smiles. "I think she would." He chuckles. "Very few women would say no to a ring as fine as that."

Sasuke smiles at his brother's answer. He had wanted the very best. So he had used a Jutsu to disguise himself and gone to the most expensive Jewelry Shop in the Hidden Leaf.

"Yeah." He nods at him proudly.

It was a beautiful silver wedding band with a large heart-shaped aquamarine gem in its center. The gem was so light in coloration that sometimes the blue hue would transform into a lavender one under certain lights. The center piece was also framed by two medium sized white diamonds.

Itachi smiles at the stone. "Why aquamarine in particular?" He sounded a bit surprised. "That's not exactly a common gemstone for a wedding ring."

"It matches her eyes when the light hits it and aquamarine is said to be soothing, inspire the truth, and has a close connotation wit the Sea." Sasuke smiles at that thought. "And Hinata likes to swim."

"Those are all good reasons." Itachi nods as he considers things. "Well, you've picked out the rings." That was true. "So I'll handle the planning for the proposal."

Yeah. That was probably a good idea. Sasuke didn't have the slightest clue where to begin when it came to things like that. That was more Itachi's department than his.

"Deal." He smiles as he gazes down the ring. "We'll propose to her when she gets back."

Itachi nods in agreement as he ponders the possibilities. "Well if nothing else, I suppose we can count on Team Seven, Taka, Team Eight, and at least some of the Rookie Nine Members to attend our wedding."

That was true. Team Eight wasn't exactly thrilled by Hinata's relationship with them, but they had been supportive enough that Sasuke didn't hold that against them. He knew that their relationship was unusual.

 _"Hinata, is it true?!" Kiba ran over to the young woman in terror._

 _Sasuke and Itachi watched from behind the trees. The bluenette had gone off to meet with her team. After all, it was almost certain Team Eight had heard the rumors about their relationship._

 _Hinata shook her head as she looked at her team. "I'm assuming you're asking about my relationship with Itachi and Sasuke?" They were all there and watching her with a certain wariness to say the least._

 _"I'm sorry, Hinata." Kurenai smiled at her apologetically. "It's all anyone in the Leaf is talking about at the moment. Is it true or just a rumor that has gotten out of hand?"_

 _Sasuke couldn't blame the Genjutsu Mistress for being curious. It was only natural. Though if any of Hinata's teammates hurt her feelings over this, he was going to fly off the handle!_

 _The Hyuga woman took a deep breath and nodded. "It's true. I love them and they love me." She paused and added. "I know that not everyone approves, but that doesn't matter. Not really. What matters is that we love each other!"_

 _"I swear by the Gods and Goddesses, if they hurt you, I will kill them!" Kiba growled and Akamaru snarled in agreement. "I don't like this, Hinata. I can't lie about that."_

 _Shino shook his head and placed his hand on Kiba's shoulder. "I'm also rather uneasy about the prospect of you entering a relationship with two deeply damaged individual, but I trust your judgment." The insect lover smiled at her. "If you believe that it's love, then I won't stand in your way and neither will Kiba."_

 _Kurenai laughed softly at that. "That's true." She caressed Hinata's cheek tenderly in a motherly fashion. "Remember, Kiba's bark is a lot worse than his bite in situations like this."_

Team Eight generally avoided them. Which was just fine with Sasuke. As long as they didn't upset Hinata, that was really all he cared about.

They'd probably go to her wedding though. "Yeah. We'll invite them and see what happens." It'd mean too much to Hinata for them to avoid it.

It'd be a small wedding, but again Sasuke didn't mind that. The only thing he cared about was them marrying Hinata. The rest of the village as far as he was concerned was an afterthought. Nothing more.

"That sounds like a fine idea." Itachi smiles as he looks around. "Well at least the District has been rebuilt." That was true. "So we can just have the wedding here."

Yeah. They could have the wedding in the Uchiha District. That sounded nice. Not nearly as nice as the thought of Hinata in bridal lingerie, but still pretty nice.

It'd be nice to have the wedding in their District. It would serve as both a symbol of their love for one another and the revival of the Uchiha Clan. Normally, Sasuke wasn't one to care about the symbolism of such things. Just this once though, he'd make an exception. For their exceptional woman.


	26. Chapter 26

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Oh and for those of you wondering, there will be another pitcher of lemonade in chapter 27. Happy reading!

 **Chapter Notation:** Unless otherwise indicated in a flashback, one month has passed since the last chapter. One of the flashback is a repeat of an earlier incident, but this time it will be shown from Itachi's perspective. So if it sounds familiar, that's because it is. ;)

Chapter 26

"Itachi, stop fidgeting!" Sasuke rolls his eyes at his brother. "Everything looks perfect!"

Everything looked perfect because it _was_ perfect. Somehow, his brother had managed to lay out a romantic candlelight dinner on a tray that fit perfectly in their bathtub. He'd also added red rose petals in to the hot bubble bath water and there were scented candles.

The elder Uchiha pauses as he considers this. "Are you sure?" Yeah. Sauske was pretty damn sure. "Hinata is supposed to return shortly."

Yeah. Sasuke knew that. He had been counting the days. Seriously, there was a calendar in the kitchen with some very colorful X's drawn over the various days. He had to amuse himself somehow. It looked like a freaking rainbow, really.

"I'm sure." Sasuke smiles. "I got the rings and you did the atmosphere setting." It was good teamwork in his opinion.

Hopefully, it would be enough. The youngest Uchiha found it doubtful that Hinata would actually say no at this point though. It'd be highly illogical.

It would be illogical for several reasons. The first was she was already their lover and lived with them. The second was that everyone in the village (and probably the Five Great Nations) was aware of the first fact. There really was no reason to keep them from getting married.

Itachi chuckles as he pokes Sasuke's forehead. "You're telling me not to be nervous, but you're the one who is trembling." Owe! "Foolish little brother."

Wait. Was he trembling? Sasuke looks down and realizes his knees were shaking a bit. Alright. He was trembling.

In his defense though, this was the most important battle that he had ever faced. He would much rather face Madara again than have to contemplate a life without their Byakugan Princess as Itachi _still_ called Hinata!

"Whatever." Sasuke shakes his head. "She'll be here soon and then we can do it." He smiles at him. "So do you want to go first or should I?"

Itachi tilts his head as he considers that question. They probably should have decided this before now, but they'd both been busy with work and well brooding. They did that a lot now that Hinata was gone.

Sexual frustration and loneliness was _not_ fun. Oh and did Sasuke mention the sexual frustration? Because that was enough to make him want to Chidori everything in sight and even Itachi had gotten rather snippy lately.

"We should probably do it simultaneously." Itachi nods. "That would be fairer."

Which was stunning, really. Itachi never lost his composure for almost anything. So yeah. It was safe to say they were both at their wits' end.

"Yeah." That was true. "That's what we'll do then." Sasuke smiles at the thought.

* * *

Meanwhile Hinata was finally arriving back in the Leaf Village. She had only been gone for four weeks, but it felt like an eternity. She had never been separated from her lovers for this long since the three of them got together and well the Hyuga woman was definitely feeling the pangs of separation.

"What do I tell them about Gaara?" The bluenette sighs as she makes her way towards the Uchiha District. "They have a right to know, but I also don't really want to start a war."

She was only half joking. Itachi and Sasuke were both extremely possessive of her. Even though she had smacked Gaara away and the red head had made no further advances, she knew that the Uchiha Brothers were going to be upset. Very upset.

 _ **Smack!**_ _She had just smacked Gaara! The Kazekage!_

 _"I apologize." Gaara blinked as he rubbed his cheek. "I didn't mean to offend you." He seemed more stunned than furious._

 _That had to be the case because his sand hadn't moved to attack her. Still, what had she just done?! She had smacked a Kage! An allied Kage!_

 _Her fury must have completely overwhelmed her common sense! "Forgive me, for striking you." That wasn't right. "That was wrong of me, but I will not pretend that what you just did is okay!"_

 _If it had been any other man, she probably would have not so Gentle Fisted them! The last thing Hinata wanted was for people to assume she was open to the possibility of having more than two lovers._

 _Her reputation had already been damaged potentially beyond repair and the Uchiha Brothers were more than enough for her. She liked Gaara, but she felt only a bond of friendship towards him._

 _Had she not been involved with Sasuke and Itachi, maybe she would have entertained the thought. He was kind in his own strange way, brave, intelligent, loyal, and strong. He wasn't them though. He wasn't Itachi and Sasuke._

 _"It's alright." Gaara rubbed his cheek more in shock. "I was the one in the wrong." He shook his head. "It's a shame, but I think I understand their attraction towards you." The red head smiled at him. "You have wonderfully soft lips and I admire the curve of your hips very much." And if he ever said either of those things around her lovers, he'd have to admire the view of her hips and lips from the afterlife!_

 _What had he been thinking?! Actually, she knew what he had been thinking. Gaara had been curious, but he had also acted in a very self-destructive fashion._

 _"Thank you." She shook her head. "B-But you can't_ _ **EVER**_ _do that again!" Not if he didn't want to die before his next birthday, anyway!_

 _He nodded at her. "As I said, I only wanted to do it once." His eyes drifted over her form appreciatively. "It's a shame that it can't ever become more, but I like Sasuke. I wouldn't try to steal you from him."_

 _He liked Sasuke. "You like Sasuke, but not Itachi." Though the red head had never once mentioned Itachi._

 _Gaara sighed as he looked at her with a somewhat irritated looking expression. "What Itachi did was noble in a way. Giving up his personal happiness to save the Leaf and possibly the Ninja World at large." Hinata sensed there was a BUT coming. "But he and the rest of the Akatsuki killed me. They ripped the demon right out of my body and would have left me out in the desert for vultures to feed on as if I was nothing more than an animal." Oh!_

 _That was right. The Akatsuki had_ _ **killed**_ _Gaara! The fact that he had come back didn't really negate that. In light of that, it was no wonder why the red head didn't care much for Itachi!_

 _"Oh Gods and Goddesses!" Hinata covered her mouth in horror. "I'm so sorry, Gaara! I didn't think of it that way!"_

 _The Kazekage chuckled in response as if he had been expecting that reaction. "It's alright, Hinata." Not really! How could she have been so thoughtless. "You had nothing to do with his actions on that day and while I know they weren't personal, well it's very hard to be friends with your killer."_

"I have to find a way to tell them." She shakes her head and sighs. "They deserve to know the truth." And she couldn't live with such a secret on her conscience!

Ever since they had gotten together, they had always been honest with each other. There were no secrets. She didn't want that to change now!

With that thought in mind, she quickly races towards the Uchiha District. It didn't take her long to arrive and knock on the door. And it took the brothers even less time to pull her inside and lock said door behind her.

* * *

Hiashi sighs as he continues his training. He knew what day it was. The day of Hinata's return.

While he never spoke to Sasuke and Itachi, there were a few Hyuga Children in the Academy. The very same Academy where Sasuke taught at and they most certainly were aware of his moods and mannerisms.

"I really don't understand what I did wrong?" He sighs to himself as he practices his Gentle Fist Technique. "Where did I fail as a father?"

Had he been too harsh or not harsh enough? Why on Earth would Hinata ever fall for their seductions? It couldn't merely be because of their fortunate looks, could it?

Surely, Hinata wasn't that naïve. So what could it be? Why would she ever consent to allowing herself to be shared in such a fashion? Where was her pride? Her sense of self-respect.

"You didn't fail as a father, My Lord." He hears a familiar voice call out.

Rei. The newest Main House Member. The woman who had told him the unpleasant truth that he had needed to hear and the Hyuga Clan's resident power climber.

Oh he knew that Rei had never lied to him, but she was an ambitious woman. Not that he could entirely blame her. What Branch Member wouldn't want to move into the Main House, if they could find a way to do it? It was only natural that she would be worried over her position.

"That is kind of you to say." It wasn't the truth though. "And perhaps you even believe it, but I do not."

The evidence to the contrary was too obvious to ignore. Hiashi was many things, but delusional wasn't one of them. No. He would rather face an unpleasant truth than bask in glory of a beautiful lie. That was just part of who he was.

Rei shakes her head and smiles. "As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." Maybe.

Still, his heart ached at the "loss" of his eldest daughter and his increasingly strained relationship with Hanabi. Hiashi wished that he could make things right, but he obviously couldn't condone such behavior.

"There may be merit to that saying." Hiashi sighs as he glances at the girl with wary eyes. "Was there something that you desired?"

She nods and bows to him. "I would be honored beyond words, if you were indulge me by training with me, My Lord." Ah. So that's what she wanted.

Normally, he wouldn't. Though Hiasih figured he'd likely get more benefit out of training with someone than training alone.

"Very well." He forces himself to smile. "Let us see what your present skill level is at and proceed from there."

* * *

"You're home!" Itachi smiles at Hinata as soon as she was back inside the house. "We've both missed you so much."

That was the truth. While he might be better at hiding it than Sasuke, Itachi had felt the pain of their separation as well. It had been a month from Hell.

The only thing that had kept him sane was Sasuke and planning their wedding day. That and of course, the proposal. Which needed to be executed in an absolutely flawless fashion, by the way!

"And we've already drawn you a bath." Sasuke smirks.

Hinata blushes at that and it didn't take a genius to figure out why that was the case. Their beautiful princess already knew what was about to happen. Well at least part of it.

Uchiha Pouncing Mode as she called it. That was a rather amusing name in Itachi's opinion, but even he couldn't deny the accuracy of it. Still, they had a full evening ahead of them and it was best that they get started on it.

Hinata smiles at that. "Well a bath does sound nice." Of course, it did!

Though why did his wife sound slightly nervous? Hmm. Perhaps it was merely the fact that she was tired from her long trip?

"Mhm." Sasuke nods as he caresses her cheek. "We've made dinner as well."

Itachi nods at that. They hadn't left any stone unturned. Tonight was going to be perfect. He knew that much without a doubt!

Hinata laughs at that as she kisses them both. "Mmm. You two spoil me." Yes, yes, they did!

"We do aim to please." Itachi smirks as his crimson red eyes drift over her still irritatingly clothed form.

They would have to fix that. Preferably as soon as possible. Still, he figured it was best to propose before any lovemaking. It wouldn't be fair to propose during the afterglow, even if Sasuke did seem to find that particular idea intriguing!

"And you succeed." She smiles as she allows them to lead her to the bathroom.

She gasps at what she saw only a few minutes later. It was beautiful. A romantic dinner and a bubble bath all rolled into one. There were even candles.

Hinata smiles at them and kisses each of them. That's when Itachi felt his heart swell with relief. This was going to work.

He hadn't been as visibly nervous as his foolish little brother, but he had been anxious to say the least. "Sasuke, why don't you be a proper gentleman and help our lover get out of those irritating clothes?" Itachi smiles at him.

After all, it was his job to set an example for Sasuke. He was the other man's older brother. The very least that he could do for the other Uchiha was to teach him some manners.

"Gladly." Sasuke smirks as he was soon behind Hinata in a flash. "It must feel so good to get out of that desert heat." He kisses the back of her neck softly as his hands yank down her pants.

Hinata sighs in contentment. "Mhm. Really good." Well at least the younger Uchiha had thoroughly learned how to apply his lessons.

Granted this wasn't what Itachi had pictured on the day that he had promised to help Sasuke, but he wasn't going to argue. This was far better than anything he could have ever dared to hope for.

 _"If Naruto doesn't return her feelings, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't pursue her." Itachi smiled._

 _At the moment, he was quite certain that his brother thought Itachi was out of his mind. Though that wouldn't stop him from doing what needed to be done._

 _"You mean besides the fact that most of the ninja world is terrified of me, her family would never approve, she's in love with Naruto, and I've only ever spoken to her twice?!" Itachi actually clucked his tongue at Sasuke as he poked his forehead again. "I'll admit all that is potentially problematic, but love is love." Why must his foolish little brother_ _ **always**_ _make everything so difficult?_

 _This was especially the case, when it didn't have to be. Some things were so ridiculously simple that people had a habit of making them overly complicated. In this case though, it was Itachi's job to uncomplicated them!_

 _"If you truly love her, you'll never forgive yourself for not at least telling her how you feel." For Sasuke's sake. "And you know it."_

 _"Maybe, but I wouldn't even know where to begin." Sasuke shook his head. "And she'd never return my feelings anyway."_

 _That admission made Itachi wince. Not only because he knew that his brother was in pain, but he also knew one painful truth. At least a part of it was because of him._

 _He was the one who had shoved Sasuke into that Darkness. Itachi was the reason why his foolish little brother had never told that woman how he felt. And he was indirectly responsible for why the other man felt inadequate for the Byakugan Princess._

 _"Sasuke, don't make me poke you again." Itachi shook his head. "This is my fault really. I'm the one who stunted your emotional development and you've probably never looked at another woman. It's only natural that your seduction skills would need work." He smiled at Sasuke. "That's okay though. I'm more than willing to teach you."_

 _THUD! Sasuke fell out of his hospital bed in shock. "W-What'd you say?" He gaped at his older brother from his position on the floor._

 _Itachi smiled at Sasuke and leaned down to help him up. "I said, that I'd teach you how to seduce your little Byakugan Princess." It seemed like the least he could do really._

The sound of clothes hitting the floor snapped Itachi out of his memory. It seemed that Sasuke had successfully managed not only to undress Hinata, but Hinata had managed to undress them both.

"I'll get in first." He smiles as he proceeds to do that. "Hinata, you can sit in the middle and Sasuke you can sit behind her." That seemed to be the easiest way to go about this.

He loved both of them with all his heart. Though for _**drastically**_ different reasons, but sometimes the mechanics of such a relationship were well a challenge to figure out.

Not that he particularly minded that fact. Itachi wasn't called a genius without cause! It was just sometimes one had to pause and figure out the best logistics of such situations.

Hinata giggles as she sits down in Itachi's lap and faces Sasuke. "This really does look good." She smiles at all the wonderful food.

"Not nearly as good as you look, but yeah." Sasuke smirks. "We tried our best."

Itachi nodded at that. "Remember to sip the champagne slowly to savor the flavor." That sounded a bit odd, but Hinata just nods in understanding as she proceeds to do exactly that.

She begins with sip on her champagne when she notices something strange. There was something stuck at the bottom of the glass. Two somethings actually.

"What the?" Hinata blinks as she reaches into the glass and pulls them out.

That's when she gasps. Two beautiful rings. Rings that were so stunningly exquisite that they could only have one purpose.

Itachi chuckles at her reaction. "Yes, Hinata." He smiles and kisses her cheek. "We're proposing."

Hinata blinks at that. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with panic. It was one thing to be romantically involved with two men, but a woman could only have one husband. She would have to choose between them!

One of them would be her husband and the other her lover. One of them wouldn't be officially recognized. That would drive a wedge between them forever!

Sasuke blinks when he sees her panic. " Hinata, calm down." He caresses her cheek. "It's okay."

"No! It's not!" Hinata shakes her head vigorously. "I can't choose between the two of you." Choose between them?

What was she talking about? Ohhh. Sasuke blinks. Maybe, they should have explained the law first.

"Hinata, you don't have to choose." Sasuke kisses her forehead as he looks at Itachi helplessly. "Itachi?"

Itachi nuzzles her neck lovingly. The action was so sweet and tender that even Sasuke was a little in awe of it. Mercifully, that seemed to be the case with Hinata as well.

"There are laws on the book that permit the marriage of more than two people." The elder Uchiha tries to soothe her. "It's just most people have forgotten about them."

Hinata blinks at that. "So you're telling that I could marry you both and it would be legal?" The very thought appeared to stun her, Sasuke decides.

He smiles and kisses her. Their lover obviously needed reassurance and he was more than willing to give it to her.

The bluenette kisses back, seeming to relax into his heated kiss. Itachi smiles at that and caresses her. That was better.

"Yes, it'd be perfectly legal." Itachi nods. "It would of course be a relatively small wedding."

Sasuke nods at that as he breaks the kiss. "Team Seven, Taka, and your team most likely." His foolish little brother was right about that.

Unfortunately, Hinata's Clan would never join them and most of the Leaf was too busy gossiping about the nature of their relationship to celebrate with them. It was a shame, really. People could have such a narrow minded view of what was considered to be an acceptable form of love sometimes.

Hinata beams at them and kisses them both. "That's okay!" She practically radiated happiness. "As long as I'm marrying the two of you, I don't care how many people hear us say I do!"

Sasuke smiles at her. "Good because I love you." He smile only grows as he cups her cheek. "And I know that Itachi does too."

"Mmm he's definitely right about that." Itachi smirks.

Hinata winces as she realizes something. She didn't want to ruin the perfect moment, but the bluenette also didn't want to start their marriage off with a secret. Well at least not a secret from each other.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Sasuke frowns. "Why are you wincing?"

Her heart was pounding now. One moment she had been absolutely joyous and the next she was terrified. Terrified that she might actually start a war.

"There's something that I have to tell the two of you." She bites her lower lip anxiously. "And you won't like it, but I assure you nothing more happened." She'd never do that to them.

Hinata would **never** betray them in such a way! She'd never throw herself into the arms of another! Not even the Kazekage!

Itachi frowns as well. "Whatever it is, I'm quite certain that it's not nearly as bad as you believe it to be." Oh. Hinata was quite certain it was.

"I'm glad you feel that way." The bluenette sighs as she looks away from them. "Something happened while I was in the Sand."

Sasuke tilts his head and that made Hinata feel even more guilty. Her lovers both looked so horribly confused and concern. How could she possibly do this to them? How could she ruin this magical moment?

Because she had to was the answer. "What happened?" A marriage built on secrets wasn't one that was going to last.

"Gaara was being very kind to me and he was curious about our relationship." She shakes her head. "He's…well he doesn't understand such things as well as most people do." It was now or never. "He kissed me, but only once and I didn't kiss back." She adds in a heated rush. "I slapped him, actually."

Sasuke and Itachi both twitch. Gone were the concerned lovers, replaced by three angry pairs of Sharingan and one furious Rinnegan.

"I'm glad you slapped him." Itachi seethes. "Though he deserves far worse than that."

"Such as a Chidori to his more southern region." Sasuke hisses.

Uh oh! This wouldn't end well. "He was just curious and got caught up in the moment. He says that he won't do it again!" She pleads with them.

Sasuke looks at Itachi. He didn't know what to think at the moment. He believed Hinata when she said that she didn't return Gaara's advances, but he still felt horribly betrayed by the red head.

He couldn't just sit around and do nothing. "Sasuke! Itachi! Don't do anything foolish!" Like castrate a certain Kage?

"Well you slapped him and once you made it apparent his advances were unwanted, he stopped?" Itachi looks at Hinata up and down. "Is that correct?" He was probably checking to see if their lover might be trying to protect the Kazekage for political reasons.

"Yes, that's right." She nods as she kisses them. "I love the two of you and only the two of you."

Sasuke smiles and returns the kiss. "I believe you, but I'm still going to have a talk with Gaara." That Kazekage was going to learn the hard way never to touch an Uchiha's lover!

Hinata gulps at that, but Sasuke wouldn't pretend that said gulp was unwarranted. Gaara was going to regret kissing _**their**_ princess!

"Sasuke, it's a three day journey to the Sand." Sasuke was pretty sure he could make it in one with the way he was feeling! "And our princess has been without our affections for a month." Yeah… "So why don't we erase all thoughts of the Kazekage from our lover's mind and then we'll deal with Gaara later."

Well Itachi had a point. "I agree." Hinata was naked and in a bathtub with them. "Gaara can wait for a few days."

Hinata squeaks upon hearing that and Sasuke knew why. Their little princess knew exactly what that meant. Uchiha Pouncing Mode had been fully activated!


	27. Chapter 27

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the review. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter because we're trying out a new flavor of lemonade in this one.

 **Chapter Notation:** Excellent chakra control and a silky pillow case will be utilized by the Uchiha Brothers in this chapter. So if you aren't in the mood for something very exotic, you might want to wait for another pitcher of lemonade to come along.

Chapter 27

"Hmm." Itachi tilts his head thoughtfully. "The water would get too cold."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He had absolutely no idea what his brother was talking about. They had just run the hot bath. The water was fine and would be for at least another hour or so.

Still, this was Itachi. "What do you mean?" _Nothing_ was ever as simple as it seemed with him.

"Our princess was quite cruel and left us all alone for a month." Yes, that was cruel. "I would say that such behavior is completely unacceptable and I'm afraid that does merit something of a punishment." He sighs as if he was terribly disappointed in Hinata's behavior.

"A p-punishment?" Hinata didn't know whether to be excited or terrified at that prospect.

Her lovers could be endlessly creative when they wanted to be. She was also dealing with two geniuses. Geniuses who happened to be two of the most powerful ninjas on the planet. There really was no limit to what either of them were capable of, especially in the bedroom.

"I suppose you're right." Sasuke leans over and caresses her cheek. "The water would get cold and while her behavior has been unacceptable that would be unpleasant." He brushes his lips against her ear. "When we get done with you, you aren't going to be able to walk for a week. We'll have to carry you everywhere."

Itachi nods in agreement. "Of course, I'm right." He smirks at Hinata as he places a soft kiss to her shoulder. "I'll take her to the bedroom while you can find us something suitable to use on our princess."

Before Hinata could say anything further, she felt herself being lifted out of the water. A shiver was still running down her body from the feeling of the warmth of Sasuke's breath on her ear and Itachi's words when her older lover wraps his arms around her and carries her towards the bedroom Bridal Style.

A few minutes later, Hinata watches in confusion comes into the room with a pillow. It was a beautiful pillow with a red silky case wrapped around it. A pillow case that he was slowly pulling off of it.

"Sasuke, what's the pillow case for?" She blinks in confusion.

Sasuke smirks as he walks over to her and takes her hands in his own. "Itachi suggested chakra cuffs, but I thought the case would be better." He smiles slyly at her. "The red looks beautiful against your skin and I imagine this is far more comfortable than the cuffs would have been."

Hinata squeaks at that and now it was Itachi's turn to smirk. "Good thinking." He nods as he looks at her arms approvingly. "Yes, red is certainly a color that flatters her. Where did you get the red one though?" Sasuke's pillows were blue.

"Guestroom." Sasuke answers automatically as he takes a moment to admire the glory that was a naked and tied up Hinata. "You really shouldn't have left us alone like that." He shakes his head as he caresses her cheek. "We missed you."

 **Warning Lemon**

Everything about her was beautiful. The way her midnight blue hair was clinging to her soaked, creamy skin to her womanly curves and everything between. Her cheeks were stained an adorable shade of rosy pink in a light blush that had already extended to those breasts that he adored so much.

"W-Why did you tie up my hands?" Hinata looks at him as she shivers with excitement and a little nervousness.

Itachi stands behind her and pinches a nipple. "It's to make sure that you don't go anywhere again." Hinata moans at the gesture. "Besides, if you don't like it, I'm sure that you can get out of it and if not, we'll untie you."

There was something exciting about being corned between the two of them this way, she decides. Predatory. That was the expression in Sasuke's eyes and Itachi's touch was so possessive. The combination was intoxicating.

"Itachi taught me a lot while you were away." Sasuke's hand slides from her cheek to her neck. "At first, I was a bit skeptical of his suggestion." Over her other breast as Itachi continues to tease the first one. "Now, well I'll admit the idea does intrigue me."

There was something incredibly lewd and erotic about the feeling of both their hands on her breasts at the same time as she was "trapped" between them. Her hands bound by a silky pillow case as they stood in front and behind her, the picture of sensual grace.

"W-What intrigues you?" She whispers, feeling her blush deepen as she shivers.

Sasuke smirks as he slowly nudges Hinata until she was laying across the bed horizontally and her head was by his erection. "You intrigue me as always." And he was _fully_ aroused. "Though I suppose you want a more specific answer."

She could feel Itachi getting behind her. The bluenette couldn't help but blush as she felt her backside and legs hanging dangerously close to the edge of the bed while her hands were still bound. She felt both helpless and paradoxically enough rather aroused at that sensation.

"Yes, I imagine she does." Itachi chuckles.

Sasuke nods. It was now or never. Hinata would either say yes or she would balk at the idea. He wouldn't blame her for balking though. At first, he had had his own reservations over the idea, but now…well it was more than enough to get him rock hard.

"Itachi would refer to it as the sensual applications of chakra uses." He referred to it as something else though. "Me, well I think the idea of fucking you with our chakra while you suck on my cock is hot."

Itachi laughs softly at his brother's description and Hinata's shocked look. "And of course, I believe it's time for my mouth to get better reacquainted with that paradise between your thighs." He spreads her legs as if to illustrate his point. "And if you feel uncomfortable at any point, you can tell us and we'll stop using the chakra." He promises her.

Hinata squirms as she feels Itachi position his tongue by her womanhood. "Y-You can use chakra for t-that?" She had no idea that such a thing was possible!

Itachi smirks as he drags his tongue slowly across her clit. Gods and Goddesses, he had missed this. Her sweet taste and how easy it was to make their princess blush.

"Hinata, you can use chakra for almost anything." He savors the sound of her moans. "If you have enough chakra control and creativity." Which was something both of the brothers had in spades.

"Mhm." Sasuke guides her mouth towards his cock. "Do you like that beautiful?" Causing Hinata to blush more. "When Itachi fucks you with his tongue until you cum?"

Itachi would have applauded his foolish little brother for his excellent usage of Bedroom Talk had he not been preoccupied at the moment with his self-appointed task.

He licks her harder and faster. Familiarizing himself with every wonderful inch of her womanhood.

"Y-Yes." Hinata nods shyly as she wraps her mouth around Sasuke's cock and sucks lightly.

Sasuke groans at the feeling. "Good." Her mouth really should be classified as some sort of World Wonder, he muses to himself.

It took every ounce of self-control he possessed not to fuck her pretty little throat raw. He didn't though. Sasuke could never subject his beloved princess to such harsh treatment.

Hinata smiles up at him as she continues sucking. Lavishing the sensitive flesh with her tongue adoringly and using her teeth to tease him. Her lovers really did seem to enjoy just a hint of danger with their pleasures.

She'd done this many times before and the feeling of either brother's tongue between her legs was now a familiar one, but it still made her moan and want to scream with pleasure. The lower half of her body felt like it was on fire with desire while her face probably looked as red as any rose at her wanton behavior.

"Sasuke." Itachi calls out, apparently reminding him of something.

Sasuke nods. "Right." That's when Hinata felt something warm brush against her breasts.

It wasn't anyone's hands though, but it definitely wasn't the blankets underneath her. It was warmer than that and faintly reminded her of the energy used to for the Mystical Palm Technique.

Chakra? Sasuke was using her chakra to touch her breasts while she sucked him off and it felt _good._ She squirms and mews at the feelings.

The chakra had a shape to it, even if it wasn't quite visible yet. Like two powerful hands that she was very familiar with.

"How that's that feel?" Sasuke looks down at her. "It's manipulating my chakra like I do for my Chidori into swords, but at a much lower intensity. Itachi taught me how."

"It feels really good." Hinata sighs in pleasure she goes back to sucking and bucking back into Itachi's tongue.

Itachi smirks and his chakra "spank" her. "I knew that you would like it. You're already so wet just from sucking on his cock and having me lick you. It's only natural that you'd want more."

Hinata gasps and moans as the insistent smack to her backside sends her spiraling into an orgasm. "AH!" She sucks on Sasuke faster and faster while writhing against Itachi desperately. "I'm going to cum!" And so did Sasuke, who barely manages to pull away from her at the last second.

"I definitely think she likes it." Sasuke smirks as Itachi pulls away from her still quivering thighs and he helps their princess lay back on the bed."

Hinata blushes deeply as she watches her lovers. She wasn't sure what they were plotting next, but she knew her heart was racing and her body was still firmly trapped in the euphoria that always accompanied their lovemaking.

"Hinata, spread your legs." Itachi kisses her as he guides her legs open. "So I can watch Sasuke take you easier."

Hinata moans into the kiss and doesn't protest. Though it wasn't Sasuke's erection she felt rubbing her womanhood lewdly at the moment. It was his chakra.

"Good princess." Itachi breaks the kiss and looks at her reassuringly. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you look right now?" Itachi was such a romantic. "Naked and tied up just for us and being teased with our chakra before you're thoroughly fucked?" And an absolute deviant, but Hinata loved him anyway.

"Don't worry." Sasuke caresses her breasts as his chakra continues teasing her. "It's safe and Itachi is right. You do look beautiful." He captures a nipple in his mouth and sucks. "You always do."

That's when Hinata gasps when the chakra enters her and begins "thrusting," making her moan. "AH!" Sasuke wasn't the only one though.

She could feel Itachi's chakra squeezing her backside and spreading it. A "digit" sliding inside her other entrance. She squirms at the sensations.

Sasuke's chakra felt like an electric blanket. Surrounding her with its warmth. Itachi's was more like the ocean. The waves sensually lapping at her skin.

"S-Sasuke!" She moans and withes against them. "I-Itachi!" Her hands still bound by pillow case, limiting her movements to a degree.

"I like when she squirms." Sasuke observes thoughtfully. "It makes her breasts bounce." He decrees after releasing her nipple in favor of watching her be pleased by their chakra.

"Mhm." Itachi agrees. "She's already so wet though. I think our princess wants something thicker than chakra."

The chakra felt amazing. So much and yet not enough. Hinata arches onto the bed helplessly as she nods at them.

"Y-Yes." She squirms. "Please."

Itachi smirks at the beginning in her tone. "Alright." He retracts his chakra as Sasuke does the same. "You've been away for a month, Beautiful. You have a lot to make up to us." He lays on the bed and pulls her towards him until she was straddling his throbbing erection. "You can start by riding my cock and letting Sasuke take you from behind. You seem to enjoy it when we're both inside you."

Sasuke smirks at that as he watches Hinata slowly slide herself onto Itachi and bounce up and down the length of his cock. Which was impressive, considering her hands were still tied up.

"Well I know we do." Itachi's charka had already teased her, but the younger Uchiha decides it would be best to prepare her a little more. "You're a Goddess." He kisses the back of her neck as two of his fingers pump in and out of her back entrance.

Itachi groans in pleasure as thrusts into Hinata. Hot, tight, and wet. She was truly a Siren at the moment. Those dark locks of hair clinging to her still wet skin as she road him and her breasts bouncing with every thrust. She was glorious.

"You feel so good." He pulls her down for a heated kiss as he watches Sasuke watch them.

As always for some reason, that only added to the eroticism of the moment though as Hinata rode him faster. "I-Itachi!" Her moans were music to his ears and every sensation was magnified.

The feeling of being griped between her powerful thighs. Her sweet moans. Her feminine scent ensnaring his senses. And of course, the sight of her riding him so wantonly without a care for any sense of propriety.

"Mmm. I know she does." Sasuke growls lustfully as he thrusts his fingers into her spot a few more times before sliding them out of her and positioning his erection at her entrance. "You ready?" He rubs her nipples lewdly for good measure.

"Y-Yes!" Hinata moans as she rocks against Itachi.

Sasuke smirks at that. "Good." And slides inside her.

Gods and Goddesses, he had missed this! She was so hot and tight. Hinata always fit so perfectly against him. Perfect.

"I think she missed us as much as we missed her." Itachi rubs her clit as he slams up into the beautiful woman on top of him. "Didn't you, My Love?"

Hinata screams in pleasure. "Nhh!" Writhing against Itachi and back against his own throbbing erection that was now buried deep inside her. "Y-Yes! So much!"

Her words made something in Sasuke snapped as he thrusts inside her faster and faster. Marveling at her sweet moans and the way she was still able to handle not only him, but Itachi.

"And we missed you." Beautiful. Just beautiful. "More than you'll ever know." The way she arched underneath him and on top of Itachi. It reminded him of those myths he had read about Nymphs.

Hinata moans and squirms against her lovers. It all felt so good. So intense.

A month was a long time to go without this. She had kept busy for the most part in the Sand. So it wasn't so bad back then, but now she was reminded of just how glorious it was to be with them.

To feel every inch of them, moving so deep inside her. To hear their strangled sexy groans and growls of pleasure. Their dirty, adoring words. Even their scents were driving her crazy as they took her hard and fast.

The bed was rattling underneath them, but none of them cared. "So c-close." The rest of the world had ceased to exist.

Such practical concerns could be reexamined later. "Then cum for us, Beautiful." Itachi growls at her. "Over and over again." That wasn't really a request so much as a promise, Hinata realizes as two final powerful thrusts send her over the edge, with her lovers not far behind.

Itachi and Sasuke were far from done with her though. Thankfully at some point, they had untied her hands because that certainly made the whirlwind of passion that followed easier to handle. They spent several days in bed, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, or almost anywhere else they could find in the Uchiha District making love. They even took her in the garden once.

It took about three days, before her lovers were satisfied. Having only stopped when it became absolutely necessary to do things such as eating or sleeping, but eventually they slide out of her and cuddled her closely in the bed.

None of them had the energy to get up off the dress. So Itachi just wrapped the blankets around them. "Ah. That's better." He sighs in contentment as Sasuke nods in agreement.

 **End of Lemon**

* * *

"Mmm. I think that I'd like to be punished more often." Hinata snuggles against them.

If that was a punishment, what on Earth was a reward? Oh well. She'd ponder that matter later.

"As often as you like." Sasuke kisses her cheek. "Don't do that again though." He gives her a serious look. "We don't like it when you leave."

Itachi nods seriously in agreement. "Indeed." He pauses and adds. "Especially not when a certain Kazekage tries to seduce you while you're gone!"

Oh boy. Hinata could see where this was going and it wasn't anywhere good. She was going to have to step in to prevent a war.

"He wasn't trying to seduce me." She very passionate and hot-tempered lovers on her hands. "Gaara was just curious."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that. "Well he can go and be curious with someone else!" Yes. That would be ideal.

Itachi sighs and shakes his head. "I don't like it, but he is a Kage." Sasuke's eyebrow raises even further as if to demonstrate he could not possibly care less about Gaara's political status. "So an actual display of physical force would seem unease."

Uh huh. "Well what do you suggest then?" Obviously, they couldn't let him get away with this!

"We'll write him a note, asking him to come to the Leaf to settle this misunderstanding." Misunderstanding was putting it lightly!

Sasuke had foolishly thought that he and Gaara were friends. That or something resembling it! What had all that bullshit been about them being kindred spirits and why had the red head cried for him at the Kage Summit, if he was planning to steal the woman that Sasuke loved more than anything?!

"You two aren't going to do anything foolish." Hinata gulps nervously. "Are you?" She pauses and tries to distract them. "We do have a wedding to plan."

Sasuke nods and kisses Hinata. "You're right. We do have a wedding to plan." He shakes his head at her. "Though don't try to distract us. This is very important!"

Itachi shakes his head at Sasuke's antics. Obviously, the task of drafting that letter would fall to him. There was simply no other way around it. Sasuke was not in control of himself.

"I shall start on the letter then." He nods somberly as he reaches over to the nightstand by their bed for a scroll and something to write with. "And yes, Hinata, I shall allow you to read it before I send it."

He knew that Hinata would ask. After all, their sweet lover probably wanted to prevent bloodshed. So he wouldn't entirely put it past her to read the scroll with her Byakugan, anyway.

"Good." She smiles at him in relief as Itachi begins to pen the necessary letter.

 **Dear Lord Kazekage,**

 **It has come to our attention that Hinata was recently in your village and assisted the Sand in setting up a Medic Training Program. It has also come to our attention that you attempted to forge stronger bonds with her.**

 **Stronger bonds that we would like to discuss immediately. We would appreciate it, if you were to make the journey to the Leaf Village so we may discuss proper boundaries. If you do not, we will come to the Sand in order to make things more convenient for you as we fully understand that being Kazekage means you have a busy scheduled.**

 **Sincerely, Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha.**

Sasuke reads the letter and scoffs. "That letter was far too nice and you know it." He sounded utterly disgusted.

Itachi rolls his eyes and pokes Sasuke's forehead. "Foolish little brother, people can not just go around threatening Kages!" Even if Sasuke had attacked the Kage Summit! "This sort of situation has to be handled more delicately than that!"

That and if they didn't handle the situation with care, Hinata would become upset. Itachi didn't want that. So for now, discretion was the better part of valor.

Though that didn't mean Itachi wouldn't make Gaara regret his actions. Far from it. Oh no. He was going to drill one very important lesson into that red head's head. Never touch an Uchiha's woman!

"That looks…safe." Hinata blinks as she reads the letter.

Itachi smiles at that. "Good. I'm glad that it meets with your approval." Understandably, Sasuke still looked less than pleased.

Hinata nods. "It does." Frankly, their beloved princess looked more than a little relieved upon seeing it.

Sasuke rolls his eyes as he smiles at Hinata. "Right. Well now that that's over with, we have a wedding to plan." Itachi smirks at that thought as he summons one of his crows and sends it flying off with the message attached to its leg.

Hmm. A wedding. It could take awhile to plan things of that nature and to complicate matters further, Itachi wasn't entirely which kind of wedding Hinata would prefer.

"Do you want something simple and elegant or something more extravagant?" Itachi looks at their princess.

Hinata blinks as though the thought had never occurred to her. "I'm not sure. Whatever the two of you want is fine with me." She kisses them both. "As long as I'm marrying both of you, nothing matters."

Itachi smiles at her response as he returns her kiss. They had truly found themselves a remarkable woman. He had always been under the impression that most women were rather well _psychotic_ about planning their wedding day, but not Hinata.

"That's good to know." Sasuke smiles at her. "Still, nothing less than the best will do for our princess."

That was most assuredly true. Hmm. What did the best consist of in this context though? Itachi wasn't sure.

"That's absolutely right." He nods approvingly at Sasuke. "I'm rather proud of you. Sex apparently agrees with you very much. You've become considerably less foolish in the past few months!"


	28. Chapter 28

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I know that a lot of people are hoping for each brother to get individual time with Hinata and that will happy. There will be no lemonade this chapter, but I have another surprise in mind for everyone and there will be a Gaara confrontation. So hopefully, that should tide everyone over until next chapter ;) Anyway, happy reading.

 **Chapter Notation:** A month has passed since the last chapter. Oh and for my regular readers, you'll recognize this medical test. This test is as far as I know, not cannon. Though I imagine that ninjas probably would come up with something like it sooner or later. For my newer readers, well I just wanted to let you know that this test wasn't really cannon to prevent confusion.

Chapter 28

"You're fortunate that you're a Kazekage." Itachi glares at Gaara. "Otherwise your behavior wouldn't have been tolerated."

Sasuke nods in agreement. His arms were wrapped around Hinata's waists rather possessively as Itachi continues to stare him down. To Hinata, it was a scene straight out of the wildness. Three proud lions were facing off and it was two against one.

Gaara shakes his head. "I'm aware of your penchant for violence, Sasuke." His eyes narrow at Itachi. "And I find it interesting that suddenly my position matters to you. It didn't seem to factor into your decision to rip the One Tail's out of my person and murder me."

Hinata winces. There it was. Suddenly, the room the temperature in the room dropped by about fifty degrees Fahrenheit.

Well not the literal temperature, but metaphorically. An important line had been crossed. One that couldn't be uncrossed.

She had been dreading this moment for over a month and now, it was here. "I was part of the Akatsuki. Had I not joined them in that mission, they would have killed me." And she felt absolutely helpless to stop it!

Gaara was practically seething. "So essentially you're saying that murdering me wasn't personal." Damn it! "It was just business!"

"I suppose that's a rather crude, but accurate enough way to view it." Itachi merely shrugs.

That's when Hinata notices Gaara's sand was beginning to lash around him. He couldn't control his emotions! This was bad!

She snuggles against Sasuke's chest, hoping to calm at least one of her lovers. "Will the three of you please stop fighting?" If she could calm Sasuke down, maybe Itachi would follow.

"It's alright, Hinata." Sasuke kisses her cheek as though he was the one trying to soothe her! "We won't let him lay his filthy hands on you **ever** again and you don't need to worry about his sand attacking us!"

It wasn't Gaara that she was afraid! Damn it! How did things go this wrong?!

Gaara's eyes were like ice at the moment, despite their coloration. "Are you suggesting that I would hurt her?!" The Kazekage was clearly outraged by the implication!

"Maybe." Itachi hisses at him. "You are the one that kissed a woman you clearly knew was already involved in a relationship!"

Sasuke's hands were gliding up and down her arms. Obviously, he was trying to reassure her and normally, it would have worked. Being this close to him and feeling his touch, but right now Hinata was on edge.

This could easily end in a bloodbath. Hell, this could easily end in a war! She had to do something!

The red head's hatred for Itachi was a palpable thing now. It seemed somehow to fill the very air of the Uchiha living room. That or perhaps, it was just the fact the sand was lashing around Gaara in a terrifying fury.

"I wasn't trying to steal her." The red head rolls his eyes at the thought. "I would never do such a dishonorable thing. I was merely curious."

Now, it was Sasuke's turn to seethe. Hinata gulps when she notices one of his eyes was now ruby red and the other was lavender. He had activated the Rinnegan!

Murderous intent was rolling off her younger lover in waves. "That curiosity would have cost you, your life were it not for your position." Loathing. Sasuke's voice was filled with loathing. "I was under the mistaken impression that we were friends or at least comrades, but not anymore."

"We are!" No. They weren't. "I was just curious about what could cause someone like you to enter a relationship like this. What could cause someone to love someone so much that they'd be willing to share their lover in such a way?!"

'Hinata saw a blue spark out of the corner of her eye and gasps. It was the Chidori and Itachi seemed to be looking for an opening for eye contact! Tsukuyomi!

Sasuke twitches at that. "And it didn't occur to you to just ask me or her?!" His Chidori was now fully formed in his hand.

"You weren't there at the time." Gaara eyes him warily. "And well I suppose that I was just momentarily distracted by her beauty. I never intended to go further than a kiss!"

"Is it because of what the Akatsuki did to you?!" Sasuke's fury was a living, breathing thing. "Is that why you betrayed whatever trust I had in you and kissed the woman I love to satisfy your _curiosity?!_ "

Hinata gingerly takes Sasuke's hand into her own. Trying her best not to get struck by the Chidori. There had to be a way to calm him down. To calm Itachi down. To fix this!

"Sasuke, Itachi, stop!" She pleads with them.

"It wasn't like that!" Gaara bristles. "I just wanted to see what it was like. It was a mistake, but can you really blame me?" Uh oh. Hinata sensed it would be a miracle, if they got out of this without bloodshed. "She's a kind, beautiful, and well I've always been as partial to a ample cleavage as much as the next ninja!"

 **SMACK!** Sasuke's Chidori and Itachi's kunais go flying at Gaara both at the same time with deadly accuracy. Mercifully though, the Kazekage's sand manages to block it.

"Stop it!" She rushes over and gets between the three of them. "Stop fighting!" The room was suddenly spinning.

Spinning quickly. Hinata felt like she was going to be sick again. She had been getting sick lately. The bluenette had pawned it off to cold and her anxiety over this conversation, but now she wasn't so sure as she lost her footing.

Thankfully, Itachi managed to catch her before she fell. "Hinata? Are you alright?" He looks at her in concern.

Suddenly, three pairs of watching her nervously. Though at least they had stopped fighting. For now.

That was far from the only issue though. She hadn't been getting sick. That wasn't it. That wasn't why she was vomiting so much. Hinata was pregnant!

* * *

Elsewhere Kakashi was merrily reading his book. Tsunade looked less than thrilled with him. Though this wasn't an unusual occurrence.

The woman seemed to take offense to their betting pool, but she had joined them. Oh well, he muses to himself as he flips another page. He was still quite determined he'd end up winning this bet.

"Kakashi, we really should do something." Tsuande sighs.

He raises an eyebrow at that. The CopyCat Ninja could only assume that Tsunade was speaking about Hiashi Hyuga. She couldn't possibly be suicidal enough to be suggestion that the two of them should conspire to convince the Uchiha Brothers to leave Hinata (or vice versa).

The silver haired man sets his book down. "If you're referring to Hiashi, the man just needs time." He was a good man.

Hiashi Hyuga was a good man, but he was also an incredibly stubborn and proud man. Once he got an idea into his head, it was very hard to get it out of there. For him, this was a matter of Clan Honor.

"Are you sure that's it?" The busty blonde eyes Kakashi incredulously.

He shakes his head. "I'm not familiar with Hyuga Clan politics, but I do suspect that someone is whispering in his ear." Otherwise, he probably would have already patched things up with Hinata." Kakashi was sure of it.

Tsunade frowns and nods in agreement as Kakashi notices someone walking towards them. A very young someone with a pair of familiar lavender eyes.

Eyes like that could only belong to the Hyuga Clan. "Lady Tsunade" She curtsies once at the medic. "Kakashi." And again at the CopyCat Ninja.

"Hanabi, what brings you here?" The silver haired ninja glances at her curiously.

The gesture of curtsying seemed rather odd coming from the normally fiery young girl. Admittedly, Hanabi had executed it perfectly though. Still, that didn't explain why she was here.

"I'm worried about my sister." The young woman sighs softly.

Tsunade nods in understanding. It was likely every concern on the other woman's mind, the blonde had already pondered twice over. Despite that, they did have a duty to hear her out.

The medic places her hand on Hanabi's shoulder comfortingly. "What about Hinata?" After all, Hanabi only had one sister.

So it was hardly a mystery who she was referring to! They just had to figure out what they could do. What could they do to help the Hyuga Sisters and their maddeningly proud father?

"Her banishment from the Clan wasn't fair." Hanabi's lower lip quibbles. "It's strange that she loves two men, but she hasn't actually done anything wrong."

Kakashi nods sympathetically as well. That was true. Unfortunately, Hiashi didn't see it that way. He saw Hinata's relationship with the Uchiha Brothers as a slap in his face and a stain on the Hyuga Clan's honor.

The Hyugas prided themselves on projecting a certain image. An image of strength and dignity. They were perfectionists to the extreme and rather traditional when it came to things like courtship.

In short, they were likely the worst Clan for Hinata to have been born into in this particular situation. "Yes, we're aware of them." Kakashi looks at Tsuande uncertainly. "Perhaps, we should attempt to intervene?"

He could see that the Sannin was debating about how to answer that question. More likely than not, she had already envisioned a thousand ways in which such an action could go wrong. Still, he could tell that Tsunade did want to help Hinata.

"Well ask them first before we do anything crazy." She sighs as Hanabi beams at them. "And then go from there."

* * *

"Hinata!" Itachi calls out to her in an absolute panic.

Sasuke wasn't far behind. He quickly checks her vitals. Damn Gaara! This was all his fault!

"It's okay." She whispers as she looks up at them. "I just got a little overexcited. No more fighting." She cuddles to Itachi. "It's not safe."

Gaara frowns at that. Obviously, the red head suspected what Sasuke already did. Hinata hadn't just gotten over excited. Something else was going on.

"I wouldn't have fought them." The Kazekage assures her. "It's a battle that try as I might, I would be doomed to lose and their jealousy isn't worth starting a war with a valuable ally for."

"Good." She takes Sasuke's hand and Itachi's into her own and kisses each of them. Her voice suddenly scarcely more than a whisper. "It wouldn't be safe for us or the baby."

Sasuke's eyes widened at that. So did Itachi's and Gaara's. Whatever he had been expecting, it hadn't been that!

Though he probably should have. On his birthday, they had gotten rather carried away and then there was about a month ago when Hinata had returned to the Leaf. It was possible that she could have gotten pregnant on either of those occasions.

Sometimes forgetting to use the Jutsu during one night of passion was all that it took. "Itachi, go and get Tsuande or Sakura." To make a baby. "I'm going to take Hinata to our room." He glares at Gaara. "And you can get the fuck out! I'm not going to have you upsetting her further!"

Gaara looks at Hinata apologetically. "I'm deeply sorry for distressing you in such a manner." The Kazekage sighs as he looks utterly ashamed. "I had just hoped to settle this matter with them man to man. In an honorable fashion." He shakes his head. "It was truly not my intention to distress you so."

Hinata nods at him. "It's alright." She sigh heavily as she cuddles against Sasuke's chest. "But it'd be better for you to go for now." Gaara nods at that and swiftly makes a departure.

Itachi leans down and kisses her briefly. She could see the worry in his eyes and it made her wince. She had never meant to scare her lovers in such a cruel way.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." He turns his attention to Sasuke. "Take care of her. This shouldn't take more than a few moments." And with that, Itachi Flickers off as Sasuke carries her to the bedroom.

* * *

Sasuke sighs as he gently sets her on the bed. "Hinata, I'm so sorry." What had he just done?!

He was partially responsible for his lover almost collapsing! His potentially pregnant lover! His potentially pregnant lover who was either carrying his brother's child or Sasuke's own!

"It's not your fault." She shakes her head as Sasuke joins her in the bed, swiftly wrapping his arms around her protectively. "You didn't know and I didn't know until just now. I thought I had just gotten a cold or something." Hinata sighs as she rests her head on his shoulder.

He still should have realized it was a possibility though. It may have only been two occasions, but the three of them had been intimate many times on those occasions.

He kisses her cheek as he nuzzles her. "You don't have to worry." Hinata had always tried so hard to treat them equally, but this was a matter of biology.

She had no control over whose child she was carrying and Sasuke knew that. "I don't know, if it's yours or Itachi's." She admits. That was only natural.

How could she know?! They had always made love to her at the same time or shortly thereafter!

"I know." Sasuke shakes his head. "I won't lie to you and say it doesn't matter to me." He smiles at her reassuringly though. "I already love them though. In that respect, it doesn't matter whether this child was fathered by myself or Itachi."

Hinata seems to relax at that and nods. "Good. I don't want to hurt either of you." Sasuke knew that.

"At a minimum this baby is the child of the woman that I love and my niece and nephew." Sasuke shakes his head. "I can't possibly get upset about that." He sighs. "I'll admit that I would be a bit jealous. That's only natural, but we really should have expected this to happen at some point."

Their passion was definitely one of their relationship's strongest assets. If Sasuke had his way, the rest of the Leaf could forget about them and they would just stay home with each other. It only made sense that eventually she was going to conceive. They should have planned for this better.

"That last part worries me, but I'm very happy about the other parts." She smiles and cuddles at him.

It didn't matter though. He was either going to be an uncle or a father in the relatively near future. One way or another, Hinata was now carrying the future of their Clan. It was happy, though nerve-wracking occasion.

Itachi darts inside the hospital and towards the receptionist desk. "I need to see Lady Tsunade immediately! It's an emergency!" Probably scaring the receptionist half to death in the process, but he could worry about that later.

"I'm s-sorry, but Lady Tsunade isn't here right now." She bites her lower lip anxiously. "I could get Sakura though."

Sakura. Sakura. Sasuke's teammate. She was also a medic who had been trained by Tsunade herself.

While not ideal, the pink haired woman should be more than an acceptable doctor for this situation. "Sakura will be fine." He nods at her approvingly as the receptionist calls the young woman to the lobby.

An eternity. It felt like an eternity of waiting, but Itachi knew in reality it had likely been less than five minutes. Perhaps even as few as two or three, but they had to hurry.

"Itachi, what's wrong?" Sakura looks at him with concern.

She obviously didn't know what was going on. "We need you back in our District now!" He didn't want to announce Hinata's potential pregnancy in the hospital lobby where anyone could here. "I'll explain on the way!"

Sakura merely nods and follows him. He was very grateful for that. Itachi truly didn't know what he would have done, if she had pressed on.

If Sakura had demanded answers, would he have given them to her? It would have been a gross violation of Hinata's privacy. Though it was for her own safety. Which would have been the proper course of action? To tell Sakura or not to tell Sakura? He didn't know.

"Itachi, what the Hell is going on?" Sakura demands as they flit off.

* * *

He takes a deep breath as they race towards the Uchiha District. "Hinata may be pregnant." There was no time to waste.

 _ **THUD!**_ Sakura falls over in shock. Hinata was pregnant?!

""P-Pregnant?!" She stares up at Itachi in disbelief as the other ninja helps her to her feet. "But how?"

Itachi raises an eyebrow. Honestly, the Leaf could be really strange sometimes. Sakura was a medic. She should know exactly how Hinata might have become pregnant.

"I can't believe that I have to say this and to a medic no less." He rolls his eyes. "When two people or should I say three people in this case love each other very much…sometimes they choose to express their love in a very physical manner where clothing is optional…"

 _ **SMACK!**_ Sakura twitches. "I know that!" Honestly, she couldn't believe him!

How dare Itachi speak to her that way?! Who did she think she was?! A little kid?! She was a medic for goodness sakes!

"Ouch!" He rubs his cheek and frowns. "What on Earth was that for?!" And now, he had the unmitigated gall to feign innocence?!

Unbelievable! This man's audacity clearly knew no bounds! What was wrong with Itachi Uchiha?! Had he finally gone insane?!

"For trying to teach me about Kunais and Pouches." She rolls her eyes at him. "I am a medic. I know that already!"

"Well you were the one who asked!" Itachi snaps back and for a brief moment, he reminded Sakura of Sasuke whenever the younger Uchiha got into an argument with Naruto. It was incredible, really.

"It was a rhetorical question!" She shakes her head. "Come on! We've got to go!" And before he could react, Sakura drags him off into the Uchiha District.

* * *

About five minutes later, Sakura got the shock of her life. She didn't know why it was so shocking, but it was. It was one thing to know intellectually that Sasuke and Itachi were in love with Hinata, it was another to **see** it.

"Don't worry." He kisses her cheek. "They'll be here soon."

Sasuke was looking at Hinata in such an adoring way, that it almost took Sakura's breath away. So was Itachi. So that was why she was willing to do it.

This was why Hinata was willing to be disowned from her family and to be the subject of most of the Leaf's gossip. Those eyes. It was obvious that the two men worshipped the ground she walked on (or in this case the bed she was laying on).

"We're here." Sakura forces herself to smile.

She had long ago given up on the dream of her first crush, but it was still pain in a way to see him looking that way at someone else. Sakura hadn't even known that Sasuke COULD look at anyone that way.

"Sakura." Sasuke nods at her.

If he knew what she was feeling, the younger Uchiha wasn't acknowledging it. Which was a relief. That would have only made the situation worse.

"Well Hinata, you're lucky that I always bring a couple of those sheets with me." Seriously, people could need pregnancy tests at the strangest times. "Fortunately, it's noninvasive and instant. You can also test yourself more than once, if you really want to be sure of the results." Though she'd never known the test not to be accurate.

She smiles as she hands Hinata seemingly a white sheet of paper. "You know how this works." Sasuke and Itachi not so much though. "You touch the paper, it will turn the color of your chakra. If you're pregnant a spot wills how up that is either a different color or it will shimmer in the unlikely event your child's chakra is the exact same color and shade as yours."

Sakura was explaining more for the Uchiha Brothers' benefit than Hinata's. Itachi was a medic, but he didn't work in the maternity section. Despite the truth about the Massacre being known, even Tsunade was a bit hesitant to place Itachi in charge of pregnant woman.

Not because she didn't trust Itachi, Sakura knew that Tsunade did. It was just to prevent a lot of unnecessary headaches from overprotective fathers and mothers. Not to mention, making the pregnant expectant mothers anxious for over something like that was a bit cruel and Itachi didn't seem to mind not learning about pregnancy related care immediately, anyway.

"That really is quite clever." Itachi muses thoughtfully and Sasuke nods in agreement.

Both brothers look at Hinata encouragingly as she touches the paper. Immediately, it turns a rich shade of violet. Though there were two tiny specks in the corner. One reddish orange and the other a darker purple.

Sasuke blinks at that. "I'm no medic, but does two dots mean what I think it means?" The only person who wasn't a medic in the room stares at Sakura in shock.

Sakura nods dumbly. She couldn't believe this! Not only was Hinata pregnant, she was pregnant with twins!

"It means that Hinata is carrying two babies." She nods once again.

Hinata blinks in shock. Though quite honestly, she took that news with far more grace and dignity than her lovers did.

 _ **THUD! THUD!**_ Both Uchiha Brothers fall onto the ground in shock. It took Sakura ten minutes to get them to wake up and that was only after employing some rather crude methods.

"AHHHHH!" Sasuke jumps up and shivers at the cold water Sakura had just poured on him.

Itachi twitches as he wakes up. "Owe!" He glares at Sakura. "I can't believe that you just poked me with a stick!"

"And I can't believe we're having twins." Hinata whispers.


	29. Chapter 29

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. For those of you interested, I finally got around to updating _**Role Reversal**_ yesterday which is a Sasuke x Hinata story. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter because Sasuke and Hinata will be enjoying a nice glass of lemonade. Oh and don't worry, Itachi will get his chance later.

 **Happy Birthday:** muzicaldove is one of my regular readers. It's her birthday today and as such, I've decided to grant her requests for this chapter. So the lemonade is on her today. Enjoy.

Chapter 29

A week later and Itachi was rather sure that he was indeed in Hell. In his view, they should be preparing for the baby. They should be lavishing Hinata with love. Not throwing a baby shower.

"I'd rather be alone with her too." Sasuke glances at him. "This sort of thing is important to women though." He smiles as he watches Hinata sit on the couch surrounded by their peers.

There was no denying that. Their beautiful princess was certainly radiant today. Maybe, that was just a matter of personal bias on his part. Itachi had never thought that old saying about pregnant women glowing was actually true, but apparently it was.

Hinata was glowing. He couldn't fully articulate how, but there was a certain sparkle in her ethereal lavender eyes that was hard to miss. The way she smiled so serenely. She was the picture of contented impending motherhood in every way that he could have envisioned.

"Oh I got you this!" Ino beams at Hinata as she hands present wrapped in pink wrapping paper. "It's so cute!"

Her serenity truly surprised him. Like it or not, the majority of the village was still either scandalized, disgusted, horrified, or far too intrigued by their relationship for it to be considered healthy. Mercifully though, the Rookies and what remained of Guy's team were coming around though.

That was good. Hinata should have friends besides just him, Sasuke, and Sakura. Itachi didn't want her to be lonely and she was certainly enjoying basking in the attention of the baby shower.

"I'm sure it is." Hinata smiles as she opens it to reveal a pink onesie.

That made this indignity worth it. He barely knew most of these people. To say the least, the eldest Uchiha Brother felt rather uncomfortable.

There was one unspoken question that hung heavily in the air. Who was the father? Him or Sasuke?

"Ino Pig!" Sakura rolls her eyes. "A pink onesie? What makes you think it's going to be a girl?"

Who did he want the father to be? Logically, Itachi knew that he should hope for Sasuke to be the father. His brother had most of his family ripped from him at a disturbingly young age. He deserved a second chance to enjoy what having a family meant and Itachi knew that.

Of course, he knew that. Illogically though, well he'd be more than a little envious. Despite everything that he had done, the thought of Hinata carrying his children was a rather appealing one.

Ino rolls her eyes as the other ninjas back away slowly from the bickering women. "What a drag." Shikamaru yawns. "It's a baby shower. It's not supposed to be an Arena!"

It was a thought that he shouldn't even allow himself to entertain, but there it was. Naturally, Itachi would be enormously pleased and proud to be an uncle, but it just wasn't the same as being a father.

There was also Hinata's feelings on the matter to consider. Did she have a preference? Was she anxious about "favoring" one of them by carrying one brother's twins, but not the other's?

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Both women scream at the lazy ninja, who wisely shuts up.

Well he supposed they could always have more children later. If these children weren't Sasuke's, Hinata might be willing to try again later. It seemed like the only fair thing to do.

"Aye aye." Tenten rolls her eyes as she hands Hinata something. "Open it." And she smiles, apparently having decided that she wasn't going to allow the bickering to get in the way of delivering her present.

Hinata smiles at her. "Thank you, Tenten." Such a sweet smile, Itachi notes for what was likely the thousandth time.

The truth of the matter was that he didn't deserve her. Not after everything that he had done, Itachi was extremely relieved that Hinata didn't care about that. They were blessed with a woman who loved them unconditionally.

"A book?" Hinata blinks in surprise.

Tenten nods as Lee strikes a heroic pose! "It's from both of us!" His smile was almost blinding in its intensity, Itachi winces in realization. "The Power of Youth would never allow a child to go unnamed!" Damn that was bright.

Sasuke smirks at that as watches Hinata flip through the pages. "Thank you, Tenten and Lee." Already scanning through them for something suitably. "That will be very useful and if it's a girl, I'm sure the onesie will be as well, Ino."

My, my. Pigs really did fly it seemed! His foolish little brother had finally learned some manners!

Shino gives Kiba a rather insistent look. "We've got you something as well. Though Kurenai Sensei says that her gift should be opened in private." He nods at the Uchiha Brothers in acknowledgement and smiles at Hinata.

Hinata returns it and Itachi mentally sighs in relief. It was good to see that Hinata's Team hadn't abandoned her in spite of everything. Though idly, he wondered what the Genjutsu Mistress possibly could have given them that necessitated the need for privacy.

"Hiya!" A puppy darts inside the living room.

Itachi blinks at that. He'd never really had a dog before. Let alone a ninja dog, but even had had to admit the puppy was disturbingly cute with it's silky midnight black fur coat and blue eyes. Not to mention those floppy ears.

Sasuke blinks as well. "You got us a dog?" Yeah. That was Itachi's reaction.

"Not just any dog." Kiba rolls his eyes. "Still not entirely sure that you two deserve her, but the kid deserves protection." Kiba pats the puppy. "And there's nothing better to protect a kid in a pinch than a ninja dog." He beams, rather proud of his assessment.

Sasuke looked close to punching Kiba and well, Itachi couldn't lie. He was briefly entertaining the idea of locking the Inuzuka in a Genjutsu until he learned how to conduct himself properly.

"Kiba!" Kurenai hisses at him as she hands Hinata a gift wrapped in red paper. "I really am sorry about this." She smiles at her student. "Open that later."

Hinata just nods dumbly as she takes an envelop that Shikamaru ahd just handed her. "I will." And swiftly opens it. "Oh how thoughtful. A gift card for baby food." She smiles.

Choji nods and beams at her. "That's from Shikamaru and me!" Ah. Well that made sense. "Hope, you like it." Choji's Clan was definitely one that knew everything there was to know about the culinary arts and Shikamaru did seem close to the other ninja.

Sakura shakes her head and hands Hinata something. "Here you go." She smiles at her. "This is from me."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that and Itachi knew why. He probably was more than a little skittish at the idea of Sakura giving Hinata something for their twins. Mostly because the woman had been in love with Sasuke for years.

This had to be incredibly awkward for her and yet, Sakura appeared to be handling it with dignity and grace. That was unexpected, but Itachi was rather grateful that that was indeed the case.

"Another book." Hinata smiles as she looks down at the present.

Sakura nods as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. "Yeah it's a book on child development, all the way from pregnancy to adulthood." Well then again, she was a medic. So it probably was to her.

Well that was certainly useful. Sasuke nods at the woman gratefully, but they still had one last present to open.

"Okay!" Naruto beams at them. "So obviously, it's time for the best present possible. Mine!" His grin only continues to grow.

He unveils a stroller. The stroller was red and velvet. It was quite pretty.

"Wow." Sasuke blinks in shock. "The Loser actually got us something useful."

Naruto twitches at that and for a moment, Itachi was almost positive that the baby shower would end in a brawl. Thankfully, Hinata put her foot down.

"Alright everyone." She smiles at them. Though it was clear she would book no argument on this matter. "Thank you, all for coming." The woman feigns a yawn. "But I think I need some rest."

That seemed to do the trick. Really, it was almost magical the way they all escorted themselves out. Not that Itachi could blame them. Who was going to argue with a pregnant woman needing rest?

"Well that was quite impressive." Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "I think that I'll have a look at that child development book and see if I can't pick up a few things, after my shift at the hospital which starts in twenty minutes, anyway."

Hinata laughs and nods as she kisses Itachi. "Alright." She smiles at him. "It's going to be okay. At least our friends understand and we'll tell them that we're having twins later." So far their friends only knew that she was pregnant, not how many children she was carrying. They were going to surprise everyone later!

Sasuke smiles and wraps his arms around her waist. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to her." It was Saturday. That meant Sasuke didn't have to teach at the Academy today.

"I know." Itachi smirks. "Believe me, I know that you'll protect her with your life."

The bluenette just shakes her head. "Honestly, what do you think is going to happen while I'm in the District?" A lot could happen! They had every reason to be concerned!

"One can never be too careful." He smiles and strides towards the door. "I'll be back later." And with that, he was gone.

* * *

Sasuke shakes his head as he looks at Hinata and kisses her cheek. "So do you wanna see what Kurenai got you?" He had to admit that he was curious.

"Sasuke!" The bluenette in his arms giggles. "We should probably wait until Itachi gets back."

The younger Uchiha Brother merely shakes his head at that. Nah. This was going to drive him crazy until he knew and they could always show him later. Itachi would understand.

"We'll tell him what it was later." He smirks.

Hinata just laughs and grabs Kurenai's present. "Alright then." The Hyuga woman slowly opens it and blushes at both the gift and card that were soon displayed for both of them to see.

 _ **Dear Hinata,**_

 _ **Congratulations on your pregnancy. While I certainly wasn't expecting for my shyest student to involve herself in such an exotic relationship, I am happy that you found love.**_

 _ **As you're already expecting, I'm quite certain you'll know what to do with this. Just so you know, the material can stretch. So you should be able to wear this at any point during your pregnancy.**_

 _ **I wanted to get something for the three of you. I don't know Itachi and Sasuke well, but I know men. There are more than a few men who enjoy playing Dress Up (or should I say Dress Down) with their lovers. Enjoy.**_

 _ **Love, Kurenai Sensei!**_

Sasuke smirks as he reads the letter and glances at the lingerie gown. "I always knew that I liked her for a reason." He had to give the Genjutsu Mistress this much. She was certainly right about that last part.

"You just like her now because she sent me lingerie." Hinata blushes.

Well that was partially true. Then again, the younger Uchiha Brother had never really known Kurenai that well. Though she had always struck him as the most normal of the Senseis.

Sasuke smirks though. "Well that certainly helps, but the woman is still by far the sanest of any of the instructors that the Rookie Nine or Team Guy had and you know it." Hinata laughs at that as she scoops up the gown.

"That's true." She giggles.

His smirk only continue to grow. "So why don't you go and try that on?" He nods sagely, feigning seriousness. "After all, we should at least make sure that it fits."

Hinata nods as she heads towards the bathroom. "Alright. I'll be up in the bedroom in a few minutes." That sounded good to him.

"Good." He kisses her cheek. "I'll be waiting." Sasuke promises her as he dashes up the stairs.

A few minutes later, Hinata blushes and makes her way into their bedroom. The gown really was beautiful, but she also knew what it was for. This was a piece of clothing that was designed to be taken off more than put on.

There was something both enchanting and sensual about it. The lovely lace was a beautiful shade of lavender. Two straps allowed all of her arms and most of her shoulders to be displayed as they plunged into a very daring sweetheart neckline that showcased a tantalizing amount of cleavage, if the way Sasuke's eyes had already changed color was anything to go by.

Sasuke nods approvingly as he watches her in a manner similar to how a hawk might a cute bunny. "She's definitely my favorite Sensei." It made Hinata shiver, but in a good w ay.

The fabric was both lacy and almost silky in feeling. It seemed to almost flow with her every moment as it caressed her skin like a possessive lover might. The dress ended a few inches below her knees. So it certainly wasn't a revealing dress as far as that went, but the way the fabric clung to her was very suggestive.

"I wonder why." Hinata giggles.

Sasuke smirks as he gets behind her and slides his hands underneath the straps of the grown. "Because she has good taste." Kissing her ear. "Very, very good taste." The other ninja growls in approval.

 **Warning Lemon**

Hinata sighs in pleasure at he now familiar sensation of Sasuke's hands on her bare breasts. Well they were bare underneath the lacy fabric anyway.

"Are you sure?" They had never done this before without Itachi. "You two won't get jealous, if I'm with one of you without the other?" She whispers.

A blush was rapidly spreading from her face to her breasts as Sasuke nods and his hands caress her breasts more insistently. More possessively.

"I'm very sure." They were large and powerful. "Itachi and I already discussed this awhile ago. We said that if you were ever willing to be with one of us while the other wasn't around, that was alright."

Rough as well, but she always liked that. The contrast against her soft skin was wonderful in a way that she couldn't really describe.

She moans as he teases her nipples and the caressing becomes more of a fondling. "That's g-good." And it felt so good.

"It's also easy to seduce you in. Easy to get you out of or to hike up." One of his hands slides down over her toned stomach and slowly makes his way south. "Maybe, I should fuck you while you're still wearing it."

Hinata gasps at that suggestion. "M-Maybe." She burns bright crimson as he kisses her neck.

He loved it when she blushed. It was adorable. Sasuke was still amazed at how easily a grown woman who happened to be a medic could blush. Though he never tired of it.

"Yeah. I think that sounds like a good idea." He nips her collarbone as his one hand teases her breasts more and rubs the paradise between her thighs. "And I think it excites you. You're already wet."

A few touches and she was wet. It was nothing short of incredibly really. More than once, he had thought that she was made for him. Times like this only further proved that theory.

There was really no denying that. "I want to touch you too." She whispers.

Sasuke smirks and slowly tugs his shirt over his head. "Alright." The bluenette takes a moment to admire the gorgeous sight. Moonlight. His skin really did remind her of moonlight though the muscles underneath them didn't.

There were a few benefits that came with ninja training, Hinata muses. Not for the first time, she was thankful for their harsh physical training regimes. They really did produce sculpt the male body to perfection. Those biceps and abs were very nice to look at.

"Wow." She whispers as she captures his hips in a heated kiss while running one of her hands over his mouthwatering abs and the other reaches for the zipper of his pants. "I don't think I'll ever get over it. How beautiful you both are." Hinata smiles at him.

"Beautiful wasn't exactly what I was aiming for, but I'll take it." Sasuke groans when Hinata unzips his pants and quickly yanks them and his boxers down. Releasing his now throbbing erection from their former confines.

She kisses him more. "Mmm. You mean you'll take me." It was hard not to feel naughty when you had a naked Uchiha standing right next to you.

Sasuke smirks at that as he returns her kiss. His tongue eagerly plundering her sweet mouth. Their princess was growing increasingly sassy lately. He liked it.

"That's right." He murmurs between kisses as he caresses her cheek. "Over and over again."

Sasuke groans in pleasure as she continues stroking him. The sex kitten that had been standing in his arms a few moments ago had been transformed into a tigress it seemed. Gods and Goddesses, that woman knew exactly how to touch him.

"Mmm." She glances down at his erection. "I could definitely believe that." And for a moment, it looked like she was going to drop to her knees to suck him off, but Sasuke stops her.

"As much as I love the sight of your knees with your mouth wrapped around my cock, it's not a good idea." She was pregnant. "We're going to have to be gentler with you." He shakes his head as he nudges her onto the bed.

Hinata blinks. It was sweet that Sasuke was concerned, but honestly she wasn't even out of her first trimester yet." Sasuke, it's alright. You don't have to worry." She smiles at him. "Especially not this early. As long as we don't do any thing too crazy, I'll be fine and so will the twins."

Sasuke shakes his head. "I'd rather not take that chance." He smirks at her. "Though I still don't intend to turn down that mouth of yours." The sneaky bastard swiftly maneuvers them around until his mouth was positioned by her still clothed womanhood and her lips were by the tip of his erection.

"That's sweet in a rather deviant way." Which apparently summed up Sasuke in general while he was in love, Hinata muses. "Just relax and let me make you feel good." She drags her tongue along the sensitive flesh slowly and teasingly.

Sasuke groans as his breath hitches. "That's supposed to be my line." Though he didn't waste anytime when it came to hiking up her beautiful gown until it was well past her hips and burying his head between her thighs.

"Ah!" She writhes against him as she takes the tip into mouth and begins sucking. "S-Sasuke!" She'd never get tired of this.

The feeling of tongue and lips down there was incredible. Hot and rough and yet gentle at the same time. She could feel herself becoming dripping wet from just a few seductive touches and licks. Hinata Hyuga was addicted. Addicted to sex.

Sasuke groans as he tries not to slam into her pretty mouth. "H-Hinata!" It was hard though.

Gods and Goddesses, the things that woman could do should be illegal. The way her lips would brush against him in a half kiss as she sucked him off felt so fucking good. Not to mention her tongue teased him into a beautiful insanity and her teeth grazing against him had him on edge.

She moans around his cock as he licks her faster and that's when Sasuke notices that Hinata had slid her hand between her legs as she was sucking him off. His tigress was fucking herself with her dainty little fingers as she was making love to him with her mouth.

That was one of the hottest things that he had ever seen. He gives her a few more hard licks and a quick swat to her backside. "SASUKE!" Making her scream his name as she launched into her first orgasm and Sasuke pulls out of her wonderfully wicked mouth. And then he pushes her onto her back.

Hinata pants and moans. Her eyes glazed over in pleasure as she tries to catch her breath. Her release had been so sudden and good, it was almost overwhelming.

"I like it when you touch yourself for me." Sasuke growls in primal satisfaction. "But you don't have to." He kisses her. "I'll always take care of you." The bluenette returns the kiss and sighs in pleasure at gentle touch and the words of devotion.

"I know." Hinata pants slightly as she glides her hand over his fully aroused cock teasingly. "You _**always**_ do."

Sasuke groans and bucks into her hand as he pushes the bottom of her gown up high enough that it was almost breast level. "And I'll always take care of our twins." He kisses her stomach once. "Or your children with Itachi." And again. "Who will also be my nieces or nephews."

She giggles at the kisses and nods in understanding as she watches Sasuke sit on his knees. "I know and I love the both of you for it. For taking _**such**_ good care of me and being so understanding." And he places her legs over his shoulders, causing her to blush.

"And we love you for being able to love us in spite of everything." He brushes her clit with his thumb as he pumps his fingers inside her, making her moan. "And a million other reasons."

Sasuke smirks as he watches her moan. She looked absolutely beautiful rolling around on his bed. Her midnight blue hair splayed everywhere without a care in the world and a rosy blush adorning her fair skin while her breasts jiggled slightly from her movements. Her womanhood coating his fingers with the very essence of her desire for him.

"Feels so good." She arches against him, her lips parted in a contented sigh.

He captures those lips in a heated kiss. "It's about to feel even better." Slowly sliding himself inside her again, making them both groan with pleasure.

How as it possible to fit together this perfectly with someone? Hot, wet, and tight. It was a struggle not to cum right then and there.

"I can feel you deep inside me." Hinata gasps and moans into the kiss.

As she should. Sasuke had deliberately chosen this position to allow for that and well he liked to see her eyes on him while they were making love.

"I can feel you too." He breaks the kiss and leaves a trail of them along her neck and over her breasts and begins thrusting inside her. "And you feel so fucking good, Baby. You always do."

Hinata moans and arches against him. Though Sasuke knew that her control was somewhat limited. Again that was on purpose.

He didn't want to risk hurting his beautiful lover or their twins. "So do you!" So he kisses her as he slides in and out of her slowly.

Hinata moans and sighs in pleasure. Content to let Sasuke set the pace as she gazes up at her lover's lavender and ruby red eyes. Each shimmering with more than enough love and adoration to take her breath away.

His thrusts actually did though. "Ah! S-SASUKE!" It felt so good to have him inside her.

The sensual and slow pace was both incredibly erotic and relaxing. Every thrust made her feel like she was thriving and everything about the experience was so vivid.

From the look in his eyes all the way to the feeling of his cock buried deep inside her. The sight of those muscles in his arms and chest rippling with every thrust. His masculine scent and those ragged breaths of pleasure. It was all so perfect.

""Hinata!" Sasuke kisses her hotly as he moves just a bit faster.

He was close. So damn close. Normally, he didn't have the self-control to take it slow this long. Hinata always felt too good for him for that.

This time was different though. He could be gentler and he would be. Sasuke had to be and so did Itachi.

She was pregnant and that couldn't be forgotten. "I'm going to cum!" And that only made him want her more.

He didn't think that was actually possible, but apparently it was. He was addicted to everything about her. Sasuke would never get enough of this. Of this feeling. Of being with her.

"So am I!" He plunged into her hidden depths faster and faster.

He took care not to go too deep, but the speed was intense. It was a rush. It was almost too much. It was almost impossible to feel this good, but it did.

They came hard and fast. While screaming each other's names. In ecstasy.

It took Sasuke several minutes before he slowly slid out of her and lowered her legs off his shoulders. "I love you." After that, he lays down on his side and pulls her into his arms.

 **End of Lemon**

Hinata smiles and cuddles to Sasuke after their latest round of lovemaking. "I love you too." Her whole body practically humming with contentment as she basks in the afterglow. "I love both of you and I always will."

Sasuke smiles at that and kisses her temple. "Good." He nods at her determinedly. "With that in mind, I think now would be a good time to go on Maternity Leave."

Hinata blinks. She loved Sasuke, she really did. With all her heart, but there were times when her lovers' overprotective natures bordered on absurd.

"Sasuke, I'm not even out of my first trimester." She was not going on Maternity Leave yet!

He shakes his head. "I know that and this is the most dangerous time during a woman's pregnancy." Had he already snuck a peek at those baby books?!

"How do you know that?" She eyes him a bit warily.

Sasuke smirks and cuddles her more. "I hate Kabuto, but I've had the displeasure of interacting with him often enough that some of his knowledge was bound to rub off of me." He shrugs as an afterthought. "That and my brother is a medic. Not to mention, so is the woman I love."

Right. Those were fair points. "Sasuke, that's good to know and everything, but I'm not sick. I don't need to take Leave this early."

He gives her a look and Hinata sighs. He wouldn't. Sasuke wouldn't resort to THAT would he? Not the Bubble Eyes Jutsu!

Apparently, he would. "I just want you and the twins to be safe." Damn those big eyes! "That's all. Besides, is it so bad to spend a few months in the District being pampered?"

"I love you, Sasuke." She sighs. "But you can be evil sometimes. Alright, but you're the one who has to explain everything to Tsunade!"

Not that Hinata actually thought the woman would say no. It'd be the height of foolishness to mess with two very overprotective and paternal Uchiha Brothers, but well it'd just be awkward. So she'd make Sasuke do it.

"I love you too." He smirks at her. "And don't worry, I can handle her."

Oh boy. Maybe, Hinata shouldn't have said that. Who knew what Sauske meant by that?! She really hoped that he wasn't going to threaten Tsunade with a Chidori or something!


	30. Chapter 30

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. As promised, this time Itachi gets his lemonade. Oh and for this one, we're just going to assume that ninjas have washing machines and driers. They obviously have movies because of the Snow Princess Movie. So I don't view household appliances being as too big of a stretch. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Viewers' Choice :** I'm going to go by majority rule on this. So for the twins we have three choices. No matter which one wins though, more children will be added on in the epilogue later on. The main focus will be the twins kid wise though. So please keep that in mind as you cast your voice.

 **A)** One twin was fathered by Sasuke and the other Itachi. Thus fraternal twins.

 **B)** Both twins were fathered by Itachi.

 **C)** Both twins were fathered by Sasuke.

Chapter 30

"Well, there is a reason why I call him my foolish little brother." Itachi caresses Hinata's cheek.

It was the day after Sasuke had decided to make the best use possible of Kurenai's _thoughtful gift._ Today was also the day that her younger lover had marched off to the hospital to inform Tsunade that Hinata was going on Maternity Leave. Immediately.

Hinata laughs softly at that and kisses the palm of Itachi's hand. "I know, but it's just so early." She knew that this was just Sasuke's way of showing that he cared. Well one of the ways he showed he cared, anyway. "I think he believes pregnancy is going to turn me into a very fragile China Doll." Of course, that didn't make it any less inconvenient.

"You'll have to forgive him." Itachi kisses her forehead. "You're his most precious person and you're carrying two very tiny people who are just as precious to him now." Hinata understood that. "It's only natural that he is going to be overprotective."

Well at least Itachi was going to be reasonable about this. Hinata wasn't really sure what she would have done, if that wasn't the case. One overprotective Uchiha Brother she could possibly indulge, but two would have been very difficult.

The bluenette nods in response as she pours in some laundry deterrent into the washing machine. If she couldn't go to work, Hinata figured she might as well do something productive. Like the laundry.

"I know." She smiles at Itachi. "Well I'm glad that you're being so reasonable about this." The expectant mother bites her lower lip anxiously. "Did Sasuke tell you about what happened while you were on your shift?"

Sasuke had said that the brothers had come to an understanding about such things. That they didn't mind her being with either of them alone. Though Hinata knew saying that and it actually being the case were two radically different things.

Itachi shakes his head as he tosses some clothes into the machine. "He told me, but I would have known either way." The thought seemed to mildly amuse him. "Sasuke may be foolish, but he's not stupid." Itachi chuckles at that thought. "We discussed this matter previously and I told him that I didn't mind. It's only natural that he would seize opportunity to be with you when it presented itself."

Well at least Itachi didn't seem upset. "I guess that's true." Hinata smiles.

"Besides, I'm only being reasonable because Sasuke brought up the matter first." He smirks as he kisses her, cupping back of her head gently as he does so. "I would have also requested that you take the Leave."

Unbelievable! Not Itachi too! For goodness sakes, he was a Medic! They were both being ridiculous!

Hinata shakes her head as her eyes look around at the laundry room and Itachi. "You're a medic. You should know that I don't need to take the Maternity Leave yet!" Her eyes trail over the dignified gray walls and the blue carpeted floors before they land on the pristine white washing machine and drier and finally back to her lover.

"Oh I'm fully aware of that." He laughs softly at her expression. "That doesn't mean that I wouldn't prefer you in our District where you won't be subjected to the backlash of public opinion as much and we can lavish you with our attention."

Hinata blinks at that. Maybe, Sasuke wasn't just concerned about the physical aspects of her pregnancy. Had he been trying to protect her in his own way from being subjected to the gossip that her pregnancy was sure to cause?

"I see." She hadn't even thought about that aspect of her pregnancy. "Well I guess that makes sense." Hinata had been more worried that it would cause a rift between the brothers and overjoyed at the thought of holding their twins in her arms more than anything else.

"I assure you, there is actually a method to our madness." Itachi laughs as he kisses her. "Even if I'm sure most of the time, it doesn't seem like it.

* * *

Meanwhile Sasuke had cornered Tsunade. Hinata was getting that Maternity Leave and that was that. The only question was how much was the busty blonde going to annoy him before hand.

"Hinata is pregnant." He states as if that explained everything.

Tsuande nods at that announcement. "I'm well aware." Oh right. Sakura probably told her, Sasuke decides. "I guess this means your wedding will have to take place relatively quickly unless you are planning on having it after the children are born."

The wedding. Yes, they were going to have to arrange for it quickly. Well at least they had planned most of those details out. It shouldn't take that long, but he'd worry about that after Sasuke got his Byakugan Princess her Maternity Leave!

"Yes, we're going to have the wedding quickly." Sasuke couldn't imagine that the three of them were going to plan a wedding while caring for two newborns. "Though Hinata needs her Maternity Leave."

Tsuande sighs as though she believed that Sasuke was being a very difficult patient. "Yes, I anticipated that you would be requesting the Leave." Ha! This was _**not**_ a request!

This was an command. There was no way that he was going to subject Hinata to the horrors of public opinion while she was pregnant. It was bad enough that she tolerated it when she wasn't.

No. This time, he was putting his foot down and she was going to get the Leave! "And what is your answer?" That or he'd just sick Itachi on the medic.

He'd Tsukuyomi until the woman agreed and then his brother would put the Sannin out of her misery by releasing the Genjutsu. That Jutsu made things so much easier, Sasuke decides.

"I'll give her the Leave." Tsunade shakes her head. "I really dislike having to lose a medic at the moment when we're so short staffed though." Sasuke didn't give a damn about what she disliked. "Still, I suppose that's better than having one or both of you burn down the hospital."

Sasuke nods approvingly, pleased that the blonde was going to see reason. "Good." Because she was right, he probably would have burnt this hospital to the ground otherwise.

Aright, that was an exaggeration. Hinata never would have forgiven him, if he did that and it would have been rather impractical. She was going to need medical care throughout her pregnancy and childbirth. Not to mention the twins would need their checkups for things like vaccinations.

It also wouldn't be setting a very good example for their children. He _knew_ that. And if Sasuke ever wanted to be redeemed in the eyes of the public or even just himself, destroying a hospital wasn't a good way of doing that.

Wait. He was getting really off track here. " Yes, good." The other ninja shakes her head. "I hope that you and Itachi truly do love that woman. What she is about to go through won't be pleasant and I'm not just talking about Morning Sickness and childbirth."

Sasuke sighs and nods. Whether those were his children or Itachi's, he knew that Hinata was going to have a difficult time of it. Sooner or later, the Hyuga Clan was going to find out about this and that wasn't going to be pretty.

Not that they could actually do anything to their beloved. The Hyuga Clan was powerful and large, but they didn't stand a chance against him and Itachi. It was more their scorn that was cause for concern.

"We do love her." Sasuke nods with conviction. "More than anything."

Like it or not, they were Hinata's family. Even though the Hyuga Clan had disowned her, that hadn't really changed. Their lover still cared what they thought of her and that meant their cruel words were going to have an impact.

It made his fingers itch to form a Chidori, just thinking about it. He knew what was coming and there was very little that he could do to stop it or at least save her from the brunt of it during her pregnancy. Well except for one thing. Maternity Leave.

"Good." Tsunade sighs. "She's going to need that love." The blonde shakes her head as she eyes him warily. "While you're here, I might as well look at your arm."

Sasuke extends his arm without complaint. She was giving up one of her medics for the better part of a year. It was the least he could do was to humor her impromptu desire to give him a check up.

* * *

A few minutes later, Itachi was having an unexpectedly pleasant time helping Hinata do laundry. Mostly because he allowed her to take the lead to humor her.

That meant she was bending over quite a bit in that formfitting medical uniform of hers. He really did love the way that uniform hugged those hips and that cute backside of hers.

"Do you have a preference?" Hinata looks at him innocently as she presses the button to start the machine.

Itachi smiles slyly. "Well I have always been partial to a nice round, backside. Though I do favor your breasts highly as well." He didn't get the question.

Hinata squeaks and blushes as she turns around to face him! It was adorable how easily she still blushed in his mind. Absolutely adorable.

"Itachi!" Her blush was as red as any of Sasuke's beloved tomatoes. "That's not what I meant!" Which was quite the incredible feat really. "I meant are you hoping for identical twin boys, girls, or fraternal twins?"

Oh so that's what she meant. Hmm. He hadn't really speculated on the matter too much before. That wasn't something one could control. It was in nature's hands.

Speaking of in nature's hands, Itachi smiles slyly as he nudges Hinata so that she was sitting on the dryer. "Well the idea of two little princesses does appeal to me." Slowly unbuttoning her top. "They'd be beautiful like their mother, I'm certain." One button at a time. "Two boys would be enjoyable as well though. The idea of father-son or uncle-nephew bonding does have its appeal." Slowly exposing more and more of her creamy silk clad breasts to him. "And fraternal could be nice. Balanced."

 **Warning Lemon**

Hinata blushes as Itachi slowly pushes her top off of her, now that her shirt was unbuttoned. "So I take it that you don't have a preference as far as gender goes then." For some reason sitting on the dryer half naked struck her as far more lewd than just doing so nude.

"You could say that." Itachi smirks at her choice in bra. "They're going to be your children, Hinata. I'm going to love them regardless of their chromosome combination. Leopard today?" Leave it to an Uchiha to so fascinated by her bra.

The bluenette nods as she watches Itachi slowly slide her shorts off of her. Apparently, the he approved of the silky leopard combination because his eyes were undressing her just as quickly as his skilled hands.

"I thought you might like it." She smiles at him.

Oh Itachi definitely liked it alright. The silk leopard lingerie looked gorgeous against her creamy skin. Though it still had to go.

"I love it." He kisses her as he yanks down her panties. "And I love you."

Hinata moans into the kiss eagerly while Itachi reaches behind her back and unclasps her bra, ever so gently sliding it off her.

Her face blushes even more at the realization she was completely naked, but Itachi wasn't. "I shouldn't be the only one without any clothes." She giggles at her lover.

"That is a fine point, My love." He slowly tugs his shirt off over his head. "I really am fortunate to be marrying such an intelligent woman."

Hinata couldn't help, but lick her lips lightly at the display. Itachi's skin was kissed by a very subtly tan and all that sleek muscle was hard to resist. Speaking of hard though, her lover was currently taking off his pants and she could see a rather impressive tent in those silky blue boxers.

"And I'm the luckiest woman in the world to be marrying the two of you." Hinata smiles.

It didn't take Itachi long to kick off said boxers and reveal that he was already half hard. Her lover hadn't been lying it seemed, when he said he preferred a rounded backside. Paradoxically, it didn't take much to get the normally stoic ninja _excited_ in at least one key way.

Itachi smiles and kisses her briefly. "It might be better while you're pregnant if you were with us individually." Having two lovers inside her at once might be too much for Hinata in her current condition. "Safer that way."

"Maybe." Hinata blushes, after returning the kiss. "I just don't want either of you to feel neglected."

"That's kind of you, but believe me…I doubt either of us feels that way." He grabs hold of her cream legs and places them over his shoulders. "Now just relax. You needn't worry about returning the favor today."

Hinata nods shyly as she watches her lover come closer and closer, giving her clit a light lick. "I'd rather watch you, anyway."

Watch her? What did he mean by that. She shoots him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" She knew her puzzlement must have been shining in her eyes.

Itachi smiles at her slyly as he caresses her cheek. "While you were away at the Sand, I'm certain you must have thought of us." Oh! So that's what he meant. "At least a little. I'd like to see what you did while you were doing so."

The thought made her face burn bright crimson, but she slowly nods and rubs one of her breasts while bringing the other to her lips slowly licking at a nipple. While she teases the other.

"I see that you like your breasts touched." He smirks as he watches her while he strokes herself. "It was where you touched yourself first, after all."

Hinata nods shyly as one of her hands drifts further south over her stomach and towards her womanhood. "I do. That and I'm used to it." Both her lovers were rather attentive to her breasts.

Well they were attentive everywhere, but especially there. "That's a fair point and they are such lovely breasts. It's almost a shame they have to be covered up so much of the time." Itachi's powerful hand replaces Hinata's own as he rubs it slowly and possessively.

"What do you want me to walk around naked all day?" She laughs as she rubs herself and teases her own clit.

The smoldering pair of crimson red eyes that stared up at her in response told Hianta all she needed to know. Yes, Itachi would very much prefer that it seemed. Then again, it wasn't as if she imagined Sasuke would really protest.

He smirks as he watches Hinata play with herself, her dainty fingers slowly pumping in and out of core. A beautiful woman pleasuring herself on their dryer who was possibly carrying his children and about to be their wife, who could ever ask for more than that?

Itachi chuckles at the thought of Hinata prancing about the house naked. "I certainly wouldn't raise any objections. Does it feel good?" He watches her as he fondles her breasts slowly.

"Mhm." She sighs softly in pleasure. "Not as good as when you or Sasuke do it."

"That's a fact that I will forever be grateful for." Itachi chuckles as he playfully bats away her hands. "As much as I enjoy watching you pleasure yourself, if you got more satisfaction from that than us…well you would have very little reason to keep us around." And before Hinata could reply, she felt his lips against her womanhood.

Licking, kissing, sucking, and even nipping at her folds. Making her moan and squirm against the dryer which was now rocking as it carried out its appointed task. Somehow, that only made it more erotic though. The vibrating sensations against the curve of her backside and Itachi's wickedly talented tongue made for an orgasmic combination.

"Ah!" Oh Gods and Goddesses! "T-That's not true! I love the both of you!" Fuck! She was getting soaked!

Itachi smirks and nips at her clit. "Glad to hear it." Licking her more roughly and faster while pumping his own fingers inside her now.

His fingers which were a lot bigger than hers, but not nearly as thick as his erection. That was far larger to say the least.

"Feels so good." She whispers as she captures his lips in a heated kiss and bucks against his fingers.

Yes, it did. Itachi smiles as he returns her kiss. He could already feel the essence of her desire drenching his fingertips. She was always so wonderfully responsive.

He breaks the kiss, briefly tugging on her lower lip. "Are you ready for me?" Itachi groans as he feels her reach down slightly to stroke him. "Do you want me inside you? To bend you over this washing machine and to take you or perhaps you would prefer for me to ravish you in my arms?

Itachi should probably be ashamed of himself for always speaking to her in such a vulgar fashion during their lovemaking, but it was just so easy to do. And honestly, he couldn't resist making her blush. The sight of her cheeks and breasts turning that rosy hue was enough to send a wave of lust through him.

"They both sound really good!" Hinata moans and squirms wildly. "Ah!" He loved it when she moaned, especially for him.

Itachi nudges her until Hinata was leaning against the drier. Her breasts pushed up against with her charming backside slightly in the air. He wouldn't put her on top of it or completely bend her over, but… well Itachi might as well take advantage of the view.

"Then we'll compromise." He slides his fingers out of her as he squeezes that gorgeous backside. "Bending you over while you're pregnant isn't a good idea, but I'm afraid I can't completely resist the view." She was soaked and her thighs were quivering. It seemed his beautiful princess was just as eager to be with him as he was with her.

"A-Alright!" Hinata shivers at the feeling of the cool metal that was now heating up from the machine running as it vibrated underneath them and feeling herself be exposed to Itachi's roaming eyes. "I need you." Right now.

Itachi parts her legs and brushes the tip of his erection against his entrance. "Yes, I can see that. You're already so wet." Evil tease! "Let me help you with that." And before Hinata could respond, he had buried himself inside her.

She moans and arches back against him, not bothering to hide the sounds of her pleasure. They were completely alone in the house. The only person who might walk in on them was Sasuke and he was far more likely to join in than protest. So there was no need.

"I love the way you moan when I take you." Itachi begins to slide in and out of her, slowly and sensually. "The sounds of your moans and the scent of your hair as I bury myself inside you." He smirks and caresses her breasts. "The sight of your lovely breasts bouncing with each thrusts." With one hand rubbing her clit. "I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you."

"I feel the same way about the two of you." Hinata moans as arches back against him helplessly.

She had thought she loved Naruto, but that had been Puppy Love. Innocent, sweet, and incredibly naïve. It was nothing like the fiery passion that she felt with them.

"Good." Itachi growls in pleasure as he nips her neck lightly and continues moving inside her. "Because as the Kazekage found out, we don't intend to share you with anyone else."

His hands were everywhere. Groping her breasts, her stomach, her ass, and everywhere else as the two of them moved as one.

"Nhh!" Her entire body felt like it was lost in a sea of desire. "I-ITACHI!"

She was never going to get enough of this. Of this feeling of being with the two of them. It didn't matter whether it was Itachi, Sasuke, or both of them. Hinata was completely addicted to this. Addicted to their touch and love.

Itachi groans in pleasure as he thrusts inside his gorgeous lover over and over again. "I don't think you have any idea how beautiful you look right now." Partially bent over the dryer as took her against it.

It was a struggle to control his pace. She always felt so good. Even Itachi had a difficult time, not completely surrendering to the wonderful feeling that being inside her gave him and taking her like an animal.

"I don't t-think you have any idea how good you feel right now!" Hinata moans, lost in desire. "I-Itachi!"

There was nothing about her that didn't utterly enthralled him. Even her slight stutter made him eager to touch her more and more. It just meant that she wanted him so badly, she could barely speak and he felt the same need.

He bites down on her shoulder lightly and sucks, leaving a dark mark. Sauske would probably kill him for that later, but he revealed in seeing his mark adorning her creamy skin as he filled her with his seed. The two of them crying out in ecstasy together as they as both tumbled over the edge.

"Gods and G-Goddesses." Hinata pants what might have been seconds or hours later as Itachi slides out of her. "I love you."

 **End of Lemon**

Itachi smiles at her. "I love you too." He smiles and scoops her up into his arms. "Though we really should shower and put on some clean clothes." He was quite certain that his brother would return soon, demanding his Cuddle Time.

Sasuke might never come out and say it directly, but it was obvious that he was the more cuddly between the two of them. Itachi was well, he was the deviant. Though it was rather obvious that he was rubbing off on his younger brother in that particular respect.

"Mmm. That'd probably be a good idea." Hinata agrees as she rests her head on Itachi's shoulder and allows herself to be carried off like a princess.

In the District, she really did feel like one. More than once, others had called Hinata a princess. Because she had been the Hyuga Heiress. Paradoxically enough, she now felt more like a princess in the Uchiha District though than she ever had at home.

Itachi chuckles as he swiftly gets them in the shower and a few minutes later, he lovingly dries her off. Seeming to take extra care around her stomach, though they both knew that wasn't strictly necessary this early on. It was just a fluffy towel and she wasn't even that far along.

Still, Hinata did appreciate the gesture. "I'm going to become the most spoiled woman in the world at this rate." The bluenette giggles as Itachi helps her to dress. "And our twins will become the most spoiled children." Itachi and Sasuke were both so gentle with her.

Not that they had ever been rough with her. Passionate and vigorous yes, but never rough. The two of them were just taking extra care with her now. Gods and Goddesses help them all Hinata thought to herself, if she even stubbed her toe while she was pregnant!

"That is a very real possibility." He smiles and kisses her cheek, before swiftly dressing himself. "Though that wouldn't be such a bad thing. You deserve it." He chuckles as he carries her towards a guestroom. "I'm afraid you'll have to indulge my foolish little brother though. Sasuke is likely going to fuss worse than a mother hen for the entire duration of your pregnancy."

Hinata laughs at that and then blinks as she looks inside the guestroom. "That's true, but Itachi what is all that?" The room must have had dozens of bags and boxes inside it.

"Well I picked up a few things for the twins." He smiles.

A few things?! Itachi was out of his mind! "Itachi, you do understand that I'm only carrying two babies, right?" She blinks at jam packed room.

Itachi nods at her. "Yes, I understand that perfectly." He didn't seem to find that unusual in the slightest though. "Why do you ask?"

He had gotten enough baby stuff for an entire orphanage. Hinata blinks. Sasuke might have been more obvious about it, but Itachi was clearly just as paternal in his own way.

"Because it looks like you've got enough stuff for two hundred babies." She shakes her head in disbelief as Itachi laughs and carries her to their bedroom. "Don't you think that you overdid it?" Hinata giggles at him.

Itachi shakes his head vigorously as he sets her down on the bed. "No. In fact, I thought that I showed remarkable restraint. Get some rest, princess." He smiles and kisses her forehead. "Sasuke will be back soon and then maybe we can have a look at that book of baby names together."

Well that was a good point. Hinata knew that eventually the twins were going to need names and they had three parents. That meant that finding two names that were acceptable to all three of them was probably going to take awhile.

"Alright." She cuddles up to Itachi. "Maybe, just a quick nap then."

Almost as soon as she closed her eyes, she was out like a light. It was ridiculously easy to fall asleep with both or one of her lovers beside her. After all, every princess should have a couple of gorgeous knights around to keep away any stray dragons that might show up.

The dragons in this case were nightmares and Hinata hadn't had them in a long time. The Uchiha Brothers were not only excellent lovers and marvelous knights, they also made for excellent dream catchers. Nothing could bother her as long as she was snuggled up to them. Not even bad dreams.


	31. Chapter 31

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. **The results of the vote are as follows:** The Daddy Sasuke and fraternal twin options were basically tied. So feel free to keep weighing on that, if you like. No matter which option ends up being the final choice, there will be other children though. Daddy Itachi will get a chance too. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 31

The next day, Itachi shakes his head in amusement as he walks into the bedroom and sees Sasuke cuddled up to Hinata. Well more like he was _guarding_ her. It was both endearingly sweet and well it was hard not to laugh.

"Hinata, Kurenai will be arriving with Sakura, Ino, and Tenten shortly." Which was probably a good thing. "To help with planning for the wedding and twins." Their Byakugan Princess had indulged Sasuke's overprotective nature long enough for the time being.

At the moment, Sasuke truly did remind Itachi of a lion protecting his lioness and cubs. He couldn't entirely blame him though. To his foolish little brother this must have seemed like a wonderful dream that could come crashing down him at any moment.

Hinata laughs softly as she kisses them both. "Itachi, I think we're ready for the twins, but the wedding planning might be a good idea." She smiles at the thought.

"Yes, I think so too." Sasuke smirks at Itachi. "I saw the "nursery." Though baby palace might be a more apt description of what you did to that guestroom." Oh. So his foolish little brother wanted to tease him, hmm?

He may have gone a little overboard with the baby shopping, but that was mostly because well everything looked cute and useful. Besides, it was better to have too much than not enough.

"Are you trying to say that I am being overprotective?" Itachi raises an eyebrow.

Hinata shakes her head at both of them as she gets up and stretches. This momentarily distracts both men, but not for long. No. They were both on a mission now. To utterly embarrass one another.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow right back. "She's having two babies, Itachi." He laughs quietly. "Not a village of them."

"And who was the one who wanted her to take Maternity Leave before she was even out of her first trimester?" He pokes Sasuke's forehead. "Though I suppose we're both overprotective.""

The bluenette shakes her head again and kisses both their cheeks. "You've both been overprotective and I love you for it." She smiles at her lovers. "Just try not to burn the village to down if I stub my toe while I'm pregnant." The expectant mother teases them.

Itachi wasn't so sure that he could promise that. Both he and Sasuke seemed to be occupying a rather exotic place on the rainbow that made up human emotion. Equal parts thrilled and terrified.

"Alright, I guess we might have gone a little overboard." Sasuke caresses her cheek. "But that's only because we care."

Itachi nods in confirmation at that as Hinata heads towards the door. "I know. I'll be back later." She smiles serenely at them. "Try not to worry too much. I am going shopping with four other ninjas. I'll be perfectly safe."

Well that was true. A Genjutsu Mistress, a medic, a Weapons Mistress, and a ninja who could enter another person's mind was quite the formidable combination, Itachi idly notes.

"Alright." He smiles at her. "Have fun on your day out." Itachi sighs as he looks out the window, not quite ready to face the prospect of another day at the hospital without her. "I suppose I should head to the hospital and I believe Sasuke has a class to teach."

Sasuke blinks at that and looks at the clock. "Damn it!" Itachi notes that his foolish little brother's first class today was scheduled for 9 A.M. It was now 8:55.

"It seems Kakashi's habits have rubbed off on you." Itachi chuckles.

Sasuke makes a rather rude gesture with his hand at his brother and Flickers off. Leaving behind a rather amused Hinata and Itachi.

* * *

It was a miracle, but he manages to make it to the Academy on time. "I'm not turning into Kakashi." The youngest Uchiha sighs in relief at that knowledge.

Though he quickly corrects that thought. He wasn't the youngest Uchiha. Not anymore.

"Are you alright?" Iruka looks at Sasuke in concern.

The Hyuga Clan had disowned Hinata, even if she wanted the twins to share her current last name it wouldn't have been possible. Not without triggering a blood feud that would span for generations.

He couldn't logically call it a Clan War. As it stood, the Hyuga Clan was powerful, but it was no real match for him or Itachi. Itachi had proven himself capable of taking on an entire Clan with very little help before and Sasuke had fought against Madara along Naruto's side. The Hyugas wouldn't stand a chance.

Sasuke smiles at Iruka, trying to seem as normal as possible. "Yes, I'm fine." The last thing he wanted to do was to make the other instructor uneasy. "It's just hard to tear myself away from her sometimes." Iruka had already done so much for him.

While it might not have been the Chunin's idea, Iruka had still vouched for him. If the other man hadn't done that, Sasuke highly doubted that his teaching career would have gone as smoothly as it had thus far. So he owed him. A lot.

"That's only natural." Iruka chuckles, the picture of paternal serenity. "Being a first time father I'm told is a wonderful, though nerve-wracking experience." Which was ironic because Iruka didn't have any children of his own.

"Yeah." That was accurate. "Well it looks like the children are here." He glances at Iruka. "So I should probably start class."

Iruka nods and dashes off to his own classroom. It was nice, Sasuke noted. It was nice to have a routine again.

"Alright, we're going to go over the basic geography of our land again." Sasuke looks up at his class. This time, he was dealing with a bunch of ten year olds. "Can anyone show me which of these areas on the map is the Fire Nation?"

It still felt a little surreal sometimes. There were days when Sasuke couldn't believe the words that had just come out of his mouth. Still, it was good to actually do something productive.

The position might have been poorly utilizing his actual combat skills, but at least he could pass on what he knew. Half the village might quake in terror at the mirror sight of him, but no one could argue with the fact that he was a powerful ninja. A powerful ninja who was willing to instruct the next generation in the most important part of being a ninja. Survival.

"I can!" One of the girls jumps up and down excitedly.

The girls were always more eager to volunteer than the boys at this age. They were apparently just young enough not to be terrified of him, but old enough to possibly be getting their first crushes. A fact that amused Itachi to no end.

 _"Some things never change." He chuckled._

 _Sasuke glowered at him. Another day had passed at the Academy and once again, the younger Uchiha Brother had come home with far more apples than he even knew what to do with._

 _He had no idea who came up with this idea to give teachers apples, but his female students apparently thought it was the fastest way to his heart. Ridiculous. They were far too young for him and he had Hinata._

 _Hinata laughed though. "Well I suppose that I can always make us some apple pie." Hmm. That might not be bad._

 _Sasuke did like apple pie. Not as much as tomatoes, of course. Still, it was pretty good and really, there was no reason to let all this food go to waste._

 _"That sounds wonderful." Itachi smirked. "Will you cook it in our favorite apron?"_

 _His brother was such a pervert. Then again, Sasuke wasn't exactly in a position to judge him for him. He had been thinking the same thing._

 _Hinata giggled and cuddled to them both. "Mmm. I just might." She smiled up at them slyly._

 _Hmm. On second thought, wherever thought of this apple thing was a genius. And Sasuke, really, really appreciated his female student's efforts to keep him from starvation!_

 _Hinata was going to make them apple pie. Wearing nothing, but an apron. Today was a good day, after all!_

"Alright." Sasuke nods at Mira. "Go ahead."

The young girl rushes towards the map and eagerly points it out for him. He nods approvingly at her. Well at least the girls were learning their geography quickly.

Maybe, he'd take them out for kunai practice later today. Understandably, the kids were always eager to actually do "real ninja stuff." That was only natural though. All kids were that way.

"Very good." he smiles at her.

Once upon a time, Sasuke had done exactly the same thing. He had wanted nothing more than to train with his father and brother. Though those two had always been busy back then. His mother to her credit, had offered to train with him, but well it just wasn't the same.

He loved his mother dearly, but he associated her with cooking and comfort. Mikoto to him was someone who would read him bedtime stories. Not someone who would ever seriously train with him. She would never risk hurting her "baby," not even for the sake of training. (Though she had been rather good at scaring the ever living Hell out of his father with her usage of shuriken)!

"Thank you Sensei!" She smiles at him with hearts in her eyes.

Some things never changed, Sasuke thinks to himself. One of those things was Academy Girls. They always got their first crushes disturbingly early in his view.

Gods and Goddesses, he hoped that his daughters and nieces would be more sensible than that. If they weren't though, well a few well placed fireballs and Chidoris should keep all, but the most persistent boys away from them until someone worthy of their time came along!

"You're welcome." He returns the smile.

Hinata would likely try to kill him for being overprotective. He'd just have to dodged her not so Gentle Fist. After all, Uchiha Princesses were a very rare sight these days. It wouldn't do to let any random village boy pant after his daughters (or nieces). The future of their Clan was at stake!

* * *

A few minutes later, Hinata smiles as she and the other women look at the various wedding kimonos on display. They were all so lovely, that Hinata didn't have any idea how she was ever going to choose!

"So what's it like?" Ino smiles at her. "Being pregnant, I mean."

It was such an simple question, but Hinata knew there was no easy answer to that. "I guess that depends on what part of being pregnant you mean." She smiles as she runs her hands over some white silky fabric. "The physical or the emotional."

"I think she meant the physical." Kurenai laughs softly. "Though watch out for the emotional. Pregnancy hormones are very much a real struggle to deal with." That sounded a bit ominous, Hinata thinks to herself.

Kurenai would know though. Her Sensei was actually a mother and that probably explained why Sasuke and Itachi were okay with her going out for a day of shopping. They were probably hoping that the Genjutsu Mistress could help her somehow.

"Physically, I feel fine." She pauses and clarifies. "Well other than the Morning Sickness." Which wasn't confined to mornings!

Ino nods in understanding. "Well that's good." She looks at her friend with concern. "What about the other stuff though?"

Hinata looks around and makes sure that no one was in earshot. The last things she wanted was for someone to overhear them. The village was already abuzz with rumors. She didn't need to add to them.

"Wonderful, mostly." Though she couldn't lie. "I am a bit worried about how they'll react once we know who is the father." And who was the uncle. "But they've both been so sweet." So gentle.

Sakura nods at that as she watches her friend. "Well I have to admit that I am a bit jealous." Well Hinata appreciated the honesty. "I always hoped that it would be me, but I saw the way that Sasuke looked at you. He really does love you and so does Itachi."

Hinata nods. That was true. If someone had said even two years ago, that she'd be involved with either of them…the bluenette would have been horrified or aghast. (Because at the time, she didn't know the truth about Itachi). Now though, things couldn't be more different.

The bluenette couldn't imagine her life without either of them. She was really lucky. Anyone else would have made her choose, but not them. The Uchiha Brothers seemed more than content with their current arrangement.

"Well this one is really pretty." Tenten smiles as she shows Hinata one of the kimonos.

Hinata smiles as she looks at it. "It really is beautiful, but I'm not sure if it's the one or not." After all, she was only getting once. So she had to make it count.

It was a shame that her family wouldn't be there, but that couldn't be helped. She had been disowned. Hinata would have really liked to have her sister there on her wedding day.

"Don't worry." Sakura smiles at her. "We'll find you the perfect dress."

* * *

Meanwhile Hiashi sighs. He wasn't deaf. People could whisper all they like, but he was fully aware of what was going on.

There had been a baby shower. A baby shower for Hinata. His eldest daughter was carrying his grandchild and he couldn't be there for her.

"She made her choice, Lord Hiashi." Rei sighs as she looks up at him, placing her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "The fault is not with you."

He knew that logically. Hiashi couldn't tolerate such behavior. That much was obvious, but that didn't make it any less painful.

Hiashi shakes his head. "Do you think that I don't know that?" He barely refrains from glaring at the girl.

Doing so wouldn't be fair. She was only trying to help in the only way she knew how.

"I know that you do." Rei smiles at him in what he was sure was supposed to be a comforting manner. "I was only trying to offer you solace, My Lord."

Hanabi comes out and glares at Rei. While the Hyuga Patriarch might be trying his best to control his temper, his daughter was most certainly not. Hanabi had made no secret for her distaste for Rei.

The younger woman blamed her for "stealing" her sister. It wasn't the former Branch Members fault, but Hiashi could understand why Hanabi felt that way. So he did his best to keep them apart. Things were just simpler that way.

"He doesn't need any solace from you!" Hanabi places her hands on her hips.

What on Earth had he ever done to deserve this? To deserve a daughter who had given herself to the Uchiha Brothers and another who wanted to pick fights with an innocent woman? Emiko must be ashamed of him, he thinks to himself.

Clearly, he must have gone wrong at some point. The lavender eyed man was just at a loss for how he had done so, but he obviously had. There was no other explanation.

"Hanabi, do not pick fights with your fellow Clanswomen." He sighs.

Hanabi wasn't having any of it though. "She's not my fellow Clanswoman. She just happens to share some blood with me." The young ninja was glaring at Rei. "She's a treacherous viper!"

"My Lady, I am sorry that you miss your sister." Rei does her best to look contrite. "But it was for the best. It was for the good of our Clan."

"You mean for the good of you!" Hanabi screams at her. "Because of you, I'm not going to see my niece or nephew!"

Hiashi feels himself twitch. This had gone on long enough. It was time to put an end to this.

"SILENCE!" He roars and both women went quiet.

Eerily quiet really. He didn't know what he was going to do about this situation in the long run, but Hiashi knew that he was going to have to come to a decision soon. Very soon.

* * *

A few hours later, Hinata was back in the Uchiha District. Currently, She was laying on top of Sasuke with Itachi by her side. "Once upon a time in a land, far far away…" And Itachi was reading her a bedtime soon.

Those were words she never thought she'd ever utter or even think before, but it was true. Apparently, her lover had been reading that child development book. Babies could recognize their parents' voices in the womb.

Though Hinata highly doubted their babies could recognize anything this early on. Still, Itachi was rather insistent and well, the idea of him reading a fairytale was amusing. So she'd humor him.

"You don't need to worry about dragons." Sasuke shakes his head as his hand slides over Hinata's belly in a gentle massage. "You have us and Aoda."

While Itachi wanted to read fairytales, Sasuke was convinced that massages were a good idea. Which they were. Something about lowering stress levels and stimulating bonding.

Hinata wasn't going to argue with it though. She liked basking in the attention. Itachi's voice combined with Sasuke's soothing touches were very relaxing. If she were a cat, she'd probably be purring with contentment.

"That's true." Itachi nods. "Oh you never told me, what did Kurenai Sensei get you for your baby shower, Hinata?"

Sasuke snickers at that question and Hinata rolls her eyes at him playfully. "Oh she got us all something." The bluenette smiles at him. "A lingerie gown for me to wear and for you and Sasuke to admire."

Sasuke smirks and nods. "Yes and it looks fantastic on her." His smirk only grows. "It's also very easy to take off and hike up. We had fun trying it out."

Hinata laughs softly at that. The brothers might not suffer from serious jealousy, but they did seem to enjoy trying to outdo one another. Sasuke was just markedly less subtle than Itachi about it.

"Ah well that was kind of Kurenai." Itachi smiles slyly. "And well I'm happy to report that our drier is rather sturdy. Perfectly suited for lovemaking."

Sasuke blinks at that. "You took her on the drier?" Though Itachi was certainly not above joining in on Sasuke's little game.

Itachi smirks. His little brother could be so foolish sometimes. Did he honestly think that Itachi wasn't fully aware that Sasuke had been with Hinata and that he himself, wouldn't take advantage of any alone time that Itachi had with their little Byakugan Princess?

"He did." Hinata blushes. "You two said that you came to an agreement about that sort of thing." So she really didn't want any fights.

Sasuke shakes his head. "Well yeah. I'm just a little surprised at his choice of location." He looks torn between being impressed and irritated. "You have to be gentle with her now, Itachi!"

The elder Uchiha just rolls his eyes. "I was very gentle. Now, back to the story." He flips to the next page of the book while Sasuke continues his grumbling.

Hinata laughs softly as she snuggles up to the brothers more and listens to Itachi tell the story. Sasuke was still massaging her. It felt nice. So she closes her eyes in contentment and slowly begins to drift off to sleep.

Sasuke smiles at her sleeping form and wraps the blankets around them. "You can't tell me that you aren't happy she's on the Leave." He gives Itachi a pointed look.

"I'd be lying, if I said that wasn't the case." The other man places a kiss to their beloved's head. "But she'll be alright." He promises.

Of course, she'd be alright. Sasuke and Itachi weren't going to let anything happen to her. And that included her damn Clan.

"What are we going to do about her family?" He sighs as he runs his fingers through her hair. "I was thinking about it earlier while I was at the Academy."

Itachi sighs as he consider the answer to that question. Sasuke stays silent while his brother does so. If anyone could find a way to solve this, it would be the other Uchiha.

"That's a very good question." He smiles at Hinata's sleeping form. "As tempting as the idea is to keep her here and not have our princess deal with them, sooner or later that's not going to be possible."

The unspoken sooner or later the twins would meet them hung heavily in the air. Sasuke wouldn't allow such a thing on purpose, but their twins wouldn't be confined to the District and when they got bigger, they would be traveling around the village without the three of them. It was going to happen.

"Yeah." Sasuke nods reluctantly in agreement. "So what are we going to do?"

Itachi frowns at that thought. "I smacked Hiashi last time. He's not going to listen to me." The Hyuga Patriarch had deserved it though in Sasuke's mind! "Maybe, you can speak with him."

Sasuke blinks. He wasn't so sure that was such a good idea. His temper wasn't as good as Itachi's and well, he had ample reason to want to Chidori the man.

"That's not a good idea." Sasuke shakes his head vigorously.

Itachi chuckles and pokes the other man's forehead. "You're still foolish, but you aren't nearly as foolish as you were before." He smiles at him encouragingly. "Besides, it'd be difficult to make the situation much worse than it is now."

That was true. Sadly, that didn't make things much better though. Sasuke had no idea what he was going to say to Hiashi to fix any of this or at least to soften the blow that was sure to come.

"What do I even say to him?" Sasuke sighs.

Itachi smiles at him softly as if to reassure his brother. "The truth. Hinata is carrying his grandchildren and that for the sake of them, you would like to end our dispute or at least have his word of honor that the rest of the Hyuga Clan will not be cruel to them."

Right. He could do that. Sasuke smiles as he looks at Hinata. He could do anything for her, even have a semi civil conversation with a man like Hiashi Hyuga!

A man who had disowned his own daughter! The thought still burned Sasuke, but he would try his best. He would try his best for her and let the cards fall where they may.

"Alright." Sasuke nods determinedly. "I'll do it."

Itachi nods at him approvingly. "Good. I'm really proud of you." He pauses and adds. "Just try not to destroy the village in the process of speaking to him."

"I'll try." Sasuke smirks. "But I can't make any promises."


	32. Chapter 32

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. As always when it comes to Uchiha babies, we've got a lot of strong feelings from all sides. If you don't get the result you wanted, please do keep in mind that there will be more children later on. So hopefully, most people will be happy with the end result. **Oh and to the Guest Reviewer who asked, at some point I'll make another Itachi x Hinata story.** Happy reading!

 **Chapter Notation:** Unless otherwise indicated in a flashback, this chapter takes place one month after the previous one.

Chapter 32

"Whoa, Bastard!" Naruto laughs at Sasuke's fidgetting. "Calm down!"

 _An amusing distraction,_ Itachi thought to himself as he watched Sasuke fuss with his male wedding kimono. That's what his foolish little brother was providing him with. An amusing distraction from the colony of butterflies that had no settled in his stomach and showed no signs of leaving.

Of course, he wasn't going to say that out loud. He had a reputation to protect and one outwardly nervous Uchiha Brother was more than enough for the world to handle without him adding to it.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. "That's easy for you to say." And naturally, he swatted Naruto upside the head for that comment. "You're not the one getting married."

That was a fair point Itachi privately concedes as he subtly glances at his reflection in the large mirror that was a permanent fixture in this room. What once had been a guestroom long ago.

Well if nothing else, Itachi was certain that he and Sasuke presented impressive visuals on this day. Normally, he wasn't the sort of man who particularly cared all that much for what he looked like. Vanity wasn't his most obvious trait. Today was different though.

Today he was getting married. "You two are preening worse than peacocks." Suigetsu snickers.

Sasuke was also getting married today though. His foolish little brother who had even more foolish friends was actually getting married. It was all more than a little surreal, but he found his eyes bleeding crimson red anyway.

The Hozuki was testing the limits of his patience. Truly, it was a good thing that the other man appeared to have at least some survival instincts though because Suigetsu wisely backed off when he saw Itachi's red eyes. Good. So he wasn't a complete fool, after all.

Now, back to his preening as the sword lover called it. Itachi notes that they had each chosen to wear their hair normally. Though that was to be expected. Most men didn't necessarily fuss over their hair all that much on their wedding day and Hinata had never voiced any complaints about their hairstyles. So why change it?

The most obvious signs that they were getting married today came from their eyes, their kimonos, and their body language. Their eyes were both dancing with happiness and nervousness. Their kimonos were made of the finest royal blue silk possible, save for the Uchiha Crests that were stitched onto the back masterfully. As for their body language, well he was hiding it better than Sasuke, but they were both shaking a bit.

"Suigetsu, I really wouldn't tease them now." Kakashi chuckles as he flips through another page in his book, feigning mild disinterest. "Sasuke will Chidori you and that's only if you're fortunate." He smiles slyly.

Jugo laughs softly at that. "And if you aren't lucky, Itachi will Tsukuyomi you." That was true!

Kiba shakes his head as he pets Kage. The puppy that he had given them at Hinata's baby shower. Apparently, it amused his brother greatly to give his dog that name and well, Itachi couldn't necessarily disagree with that.

"I hope not." He gives them dirty looks. "No fighting at Hinata's wedding!"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "We weren't going to and it's our wedding too!" Oh boy.

Thankfully, it appeared Shino was ready to step in. He was probably used to it though. Stopping his hot headed teammate from getting into trouble.

"Stop that." He shakes his head in disappointment. "We need to get to the aisle before Hinata does and this bickering is not helpful!"

Guy was already bawling dramatically. "That's the Power of Youth, Shino!" According to Kakashi, his best friend always cried at weddings though.

So this was normal for him. Well as normal as Guy ever got anyway. Though the fact that his student who could easily pass for his biological son was joining him in these excessive displays, well that was mildly to moderately disturbing!

"The Power of Love and Youth is so beautiful!" Lee gushes.

Itachi shakes his head as he looks at Sasuke. "Are they always like this?" He hadn't interacted with those two too much.

Sasuke nods his head and Itachi shakes his own in amusement once more. Right. Well moving on.

"Don't worry!" Choji smiles at them. "The cake is more than big enough for everyone!"

Itachi chuckles at that. Of course, Choji's first thought would be on food. Not that he could entirely blame the other man though. That cake did look delicious.

Speaking of delicious though, that reminded the eldest Uchiha Brother of an incident earlier that month. The incident that had taught them how utterly terrifying food cravings during pregnancy could make any woman. Even one as sweet as their Byakugan Princess!

 _"Sasuke, Itachi, where are the cinnamon rolls?" Hinata looked at them expectantly._

 _Itachi innocently tilted his head to the side. He had no idea what was about to happen. Though he probably should have known._

 _"There should be some in the cupboard, My Love." He smiled at her._

 _Hinata shook her head and opened the cupboard. In an unexpectedly dramatic fashion, she gestured rather dramatically to illustrate her point. Her precious cinnamon rolls weren't there._

 _Sasuke laughed and kissed her cheek. "Alright. Alright." He smiled at her. "We'll go to the bakery and pick up some cinnamon rolls." To which Hinata nodded approvingly._

 _So the two of them departed to the bakery. Unfortunately, it was a bit later than expected when they got there. A CLOSED Sign was hung up rather prominently across the door._

 _"Damn it." Sasuke muttered in annoyance._

 _Itachi sighed at their misfortune. "Well we'll just have to tell her that the bakery is closed and get her some rolls tomorrow." Sasuke nodded in agreement and they went home._

 _Hinata didn't exactly react in the way they anticipated. To say the least, Itachi was at least mildly terrified and Sasuke was utterly traumatized._

 _"I WANT MY CINNAMON ROLLS!" She must have taken lessons from Sakura to look intimidating at some point._

 _For a moment, Itachi feared they might be subjected to the Gentle Fist. Luckily, Sasuke had the good sense to promise Hinata that they would indeed get her cinnamon rolls and Flickered them off._

 _"That was scary." He blinked as he opened the door to the bakery for Itachi._

 _He couldn't disagree with that. "Excuse me, Sir?" Itachi smiled at the baker who had closed up his shop for the night, but was still sweeping up the floor._

 _"I'm sorry, we're closed." He smiled back. "Come back tomorrow."_

 _Itachi's eyes bled red. "I'm afraid that you don't understand." He shook his head at the silly old man. "We have a pregnant woman in our care who is experiencing food cravings and she also happens to be a ninja." The baker's eyes widened at the sight of Itachi's Sharingan. "So I believe it is in everyone's best interest, if you gave us those cinnamon rolls."_

 _Sasuke nodded as his own eyes changed color. From obsidian black to ruby red and lavender. Neither of them was going to be subjected to their pregnant lover's wrath because the bakery had closed a few minutes ago._

 _"A-Alright!" The baker shoved a box of rolls into their hands each. "T-Take them. They're on the h-house!"_

 _"Thank you." Sasuke smiled as he Flickered back to their home with Itachi and the two of them presented their Byakugan Princess with her cinnamon rolls._

"Well I believe that is everything." He smiles at Sasuke. "Lets go." With that being said, both brothers quickly headed outside and towards the alter while they waited for their bride.

* * *

Meanwhile Hinata bites her lower lip as she looks at herself in the mirror. She wasn't showing yet. Not exactly anyway.

Her beautiful wedding kimono was enough to hide what little she was showing. Gone was her completely flat stomach with lean muscles. Replaced by a softer belly, but she wouldn't say it qualified as a "baby bump" yet though.

"You look beautiful, Big Sister." Hanabi darts inside the room and Hinata's eyes widen.

"HANABI?!" Was she real or had she imagined it?!

Apparently, she hadn't imagined it though. "How did you get here?" Kurenai looks at the young girl in shock.

"I snuck out." She smiles at Hinata and hugs her. "I couldn't miss your wedding."

Sakura smiles as she places a hairpiece on the side of Hinata's hair. It had pink, orange, and red flowers on it and they were held in place by many intricately woven beads underneath. It went well with her kimono.

She had opted not for a white kimono as was traditional, but a ruby red silk kimono with elaborate golden orange spirals placed all over it and a midnight black sash to hold it together. The fabric flowed with her every moment.

"Not exactly a traditional choice, but it's not a traditional wedding." Tenten giggles.

"Pretty!" Mirai laughs as the toddler looks around excitedly.

Hanabi nods and smiles as she embraces Hinata. "Very pretty." the Hyuga woman agrees.

Hinata only wished that she didn't know the truth. That Hanabi was likely going to get caught and she'd be punished for sneaking out to her wedding. For now though, she decides to focus on more pleasant things. Like the actual wedding and the fact her sister was actually here.

"We should be going." Karin pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "The wedding can't exactly start without the bride." She laughs and Hinata nods in agreement as she watches Mirai take off to deliver the flowers. Mirai was the flower girl, after all.

Hinata followed shortly afterwards and smiles as soon as they were outside. It was Fall and now, the leaves in the leaf had changed colors and it was beautiful. Breath taking, really. Everywhere one look they saw radiant reds, vibrant yellows, and outrageous orange leaves.

At some point, her lovers had laid out a red carpet on the nearby sidewalk and thrown up an alter that was made out of handsome oak wood with red and white roses woven into it. It was beautiful and so were the flowers and colorful lanterns that were strung up everywhere.

"You look beautiful, Hinata." Hanabi assures her.

She feels someone place their hand on her shoulder. "Indeed. She does." And blinks as she turns around to see who it was.

It was her father! Her eyes widened in shock and terror. Not today! She really hoped that he wouldn't ruin their wedding day! The expectant mother wasn't the only one who was shocked by his appearance though.

There were gasps from their guests who had been situated along the sidewalk in pristine white chairs and of course, from her sister. Hanabi looked just as shocked as Hinata felt. The bride knew that she was likely gaping worse than a fish at the Hyuga Clan's Patriarch, but she couldn't help it! She had never expected him to be here!

Suddenly, Hinata felt three red eyes and one lavender on her. "We shall we comes of this after your Honeymoon, but at least for today…I shall do as your mother would have wanted me to and walk you down the aisle." He turns his gaze towards the men staring him down. "Even if I do not entirely approve of your choice."

Hinata nods dumbly as she takes his hand and allows Hiashi Hyuga to escort her down the aisle. She was dimly aware of the classical music playing in the background and the scent of delicious foods everywhere. Mostly though, she was aware of the silence on that beautiful fall day.

No one seemed sure of what to do or say at his sudden appearance, but Hinata was happy that her father was there. "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Hinata Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha, and Itachi Uchiha." Though everyone was understandably nervous. "If anyone has any reason to object, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Tsunade's eyes were on Hiashi. It was as if she was warning him not to protest and Hinata knew that her lovers were ready to bound into action at the slightest hint of disaster. It was a tense moment to say the least.

Itachi and Sasuke reach out and caress her cheek. "You look beautiful." They both whisper as one as they stare at Hiashi.

Sasuke wouldn't let him ruin today. Not when Hinata was wearing her wedding kimono and carrying the future of their Clan. The younger Uchiha Brother had spoken to him earlier, but he had never thought that Hiashi would actually come. It appeared that he had been wrong.

 _"I was wondering, when you were going to speak with me." Hiashi's eyes stared at Sasuke coldly._

 _The fact that the other man had been expecting him, honestly surprised Sasuke. "I would have rather avoided you." There was no point in lying. "For the sake of Hinata and the children though, I can't."_

 _Hiashi didn't have to approve of their relationship. Sasuke really didn't give a damn, but he would be damned if he let that bastard make Hinata cry or any of her so called family do the same._

 _"So you came for them." Hiashi's eyes hadn't left Sasuke for a second, though it was clear he was doing his best to avoid looking at him directly in the eye._

 _Sasuke nodded at that. "I don't care what you think about our relationship or what your Clan does, but I'm not going to tolerate cruelty to Hinata or our children." His Sharingan and Rinnegan activated._

 _"And what you do, if my Clan does not follow your orders." Hiashi's gaze was glacial. "We are Hyugas. Not Uchihas! You hold no authority over us!"_

 _Sasuke shook his head. " You're right. I don't have any legal authority over your Clan." His gaze hardened as he glared at Hiashi. "I lost most of my family. There isn't a day that goes by where I wouldn't give almost any thing to have my family, especially my father back in my life." His hands clenched into a fist._

 _His words seemed to temporarily stun Hiashi. Which was good. Had the other man said anything, Sasuke might very well have thrown a punch._

 _"Though I do wonder what your wife would think about this?" Sasuke half snarled. "That you won't even walk your own daughter down the aisle because of your damn pride." Anger it was a familiar emotion to Sasuke, but this fury burned especially brightly. "I suppose it doesn't matter though."_

 _Hiashi slammed his fist onto his desk as he glared at Sasuke. "How dare you speak to me as if you know the first thing about my wife or my family?!" Because this time, it was about Hinata. It was about the Hyuga Clan hurting the woman he loved more than anything._

 _"I may not have known her, but if she was anything like Hinata…she never would have abandoned her child." Sasuke hissed at him. "It doesn't matter though. You're the one who will have to live with not attending your daughter's wedding for the rest of your life." His fury was a living, breathing entity at this point. "But if your Clan upsets my wife, they will answer to me. Keep that in mind, Lord Hyuga." He spat out the word as if it was poison and left before Hiashi could say another word._

Mercifully, Hiashi didn't raise any objections. "Wonderful." Tsunade smiles at the knowledge that a disaster had likely been adverted. "Do you, Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, and cherish as you stand by each other's sides for all of your days?" The blonde clearly felt a little awkward marrying three people, but she was smiling. "In sickness and in health? And for better or for worse until death do you part?" He appreciated that.

"I do." Both brothers said in unison.

It was something of a miracle. Sasuke watches as his beautiful bride's body language slowly, but surely begins to relax. With every second that past, it looked less and less likely that Hiashi Hyuga was going to object.

"Do you Hinata Hyuga take Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husbands?" The medic smiles at the other woman. "To love, honor, and cherish as you stand by each other's sides for all of your days?" Hinata's eyes were shimmering with happiness as she gazed at both of them adoringly. "In sickness and in health? And for better or for worse until death do you part?" It was a beautiful moment.

Hinata smiles and Sasuke could swear it was like diamonds. "I do." Absolutely beautiful.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Fire Nation and Leaf Village, I pronounce thee man and wife and well man." Tsunade shakes her head. "I never thought I would have to say that." She laughs softly. "You may kiss the bride."

Itachi and Sasuke wasted no time doing exactly that. The elder Uchiha Brother knew that it was probably wrong, but he couldn't resist making a show of it in front of Hiashi. He added a little tongue just to drive the point home and because well, his wife was a damn good kisser.

Hiashi coughs uncomfortably and gives Itachi a dirty look for that display. Sasuke's own kiss was well slightly more dignified for public viewing, Itachi noted. Not by much though.

"Time to throw the bouquet!" Karin laughs and Hinata smiles as she tosses the bouquet into the crowd.

Itachi was suddenly rather glad that he wasn't a single woman. "They're so vicious." He blinks as he stares in awe of the savage display.

"Yeah." Sasuke looked just as stunned as his brother. "Where were they during the war?"

Hinata laughs and sits down as the brother slowly slide her garter belt off. "Women take catching the bouquet very seriously." Now, that was likely the understatement of the century Itachi privately observes as the garter belt goes flying into the crowd.

"True enough." He smiles. "Let's go and cut the cake." Itachi offers her one of his hands and Sasuke does the same as the three of them make their way over to cut the cake.

Naruto claps Sasuke on the back as Hinata cuts it. "You did it!" He grins at him. "You got married!"

Sasuke nods and shakes his head. "And you've decided to wear a garter belt as a hat." The younger Uchiha rolls his eyes at that. "Idiot."

Naruto blinks as it seems to dawn on him that he was indeed wearing a garter belt on his head. "Oh yeah." He laughs. "I guess that means that I'm next."

Itachi looks around curiously. Well if the blonde had caught the garter belt, he couldn't help, but wonder who had gotten the bouquet? Whoever did deserved some kind of medal for bravery in his opinion. That catfight had been vicious.

"I got it!" Sakura beams with pride.

He shakes his head and pushes the pinkette and blonde together. "Well then as tradition dictates, you should dance together." And before they could protest, he pushes them once more a few feet away onto the "dance floor" so to speak.

"I never knew you were so pushy." Hinata laughs as she stuffs some cake into her lovers' faces. "It's cute."

Sasuke quickly swallows a mouthful of cake before returning the favor. "I probably wouldn't encourage him." That would only end in disaster.

Itachi chuckles as he also stuffs cake into their beautiful bride's face and quickly swallows his own portion. "She can encourage me much as she likes." He glances towards the dance floor. "And as part of my newly discovered assertive streak, I say that we should dance."

He blinks as he looks around and notices Karin had drug Suigetsu off to dance. "Before those two destroy the District." He observes with a laugh.

That was a good, Hinata thinks to herself as she allows her husbands to lead her off to dance. "Thank you." She whispers to them as the three of them glide across the Uchiha District together.

"Thank you for what?" Sasuke looks at her in confusion as he caresses her cheek.

"For not fighting with my family." She smiles at them. "The both of you." Hinata pauses as she twirls underneath their arms. "For allowing my sister to stay and for loving me." The very embodiment of grace in his mind. "And for giving me two beautiful children."

Sasuke smiles at that. Logically, he knew that it was a bit premature to call their children beautiful when they couldn't even see them yet. Logic could be damned though. He knew they would be.

Whether those children were his or Itachi's, they belonged to Hinata. He highly doubted they could be anything less than positively enchanting with that idea in mind.

"It was our pleasure." Itachi kisses her other cheek. "Well other than dealing with your father."

Hiashi frowns as he approaches them. "I heard that." These Uchihas were going to be the death of him. He just knew it!

"You were meant to." Sasuke eyes Hiashi warily as he quickly wraps his arms around Hinata. "I'm surprised you came."

He hadn't expected the man to actually have a conscience about today, but he knew one thing. Sasuke wasn't going to allow him to upset Hinata on their wedding day and judging by Itachi's crimson red eyes…neither was his brother.

Hiashi sighs and shakes his head. "I can't say that I approve of such a deviant arrangement, Hinata." The bride winces at that. "Though it does seem clear in their town twisted way they care about the two of you and as you are pregnant, it's too late for such objections to mean much."

Damn straight it was. Sasuke's hold tightens just a bit. If that Hyuga thought he was going to steal _**their**_ princess, he was sorely mistaken!

"It's not twisted, Father." She sighs as she snuggles into Sasuke and kisses Itachi's cheek. "They love me and I love them. We're happy together and going to be a family."

"That's true." Itachi seemed half itching for a fight. "You can be part of that or not, but I will not allow you to hurt our wife or our children whether it's physically or emotionally."

Hiashi shakes his head. "I don't know, if I can ever accept this but I do still love you, Hinata." His eyes soften briefly as he turns his attention to Hanabi and back to Hinata. "A father's love for their daughter isn't something that goes away and it pains me that things had to be this way."

Hinata bites her lower lip and Sasuke shakes his head. He was going to have to step in. There was simply no alternative.

"If you wish to think that, that's up to you." It was time to leave. "As for us, we're going on our Honeymoon." He smiles at Hinata. "Are you ready?"

Itachi smirks at that. "The location is a surprise, but I think that you'll rather like it." He gestures for the two of them to follow him. "We've spent weeks ensuring that everything would be absolutely perfect for the five of us."

"F-Five?" Hiashi's eyes widened.

Sasuke smirks at that shock. "She's expecting twins." It was probably cruel, but he couldn't resist messing with him.

 _ **THUD!**_ Hiashi falls over in shock as Sakura rushes to him. "Don't worry, I got him." Momentarily interrupting her dance with Naruto to look after him. "Go have fun on your Honeymoon! I'll see you soon!"

The Uchihas nod their head gratefully at Sakura as they quickly head to their carriage. Yes, a carriage. After all, what could be a more suitable form of transportation for their Byakugan Princess than a carriage? Well at least that was the case in Sasuke's mind.

"Here, let me help you." Itachi smiles as he gets the door and helps their wife inside.

Sasuke quickly pays the driver and with that, the two Uchiha Brothers join their bride inside. It was going to be a long ride. Though Sasuke didn't have any doubts that it would be worth it. Their Honeymoon was going to be simply glorious. He was sure of it!


	33. Chapter 33

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the Honeymoon Chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Sorry that this one is a bit "late," but things were a little crazy today. The Uchihas enjoy a slight hint of adult conversation with their lemonade in this one. Oh and to prevent any confusion, Emiko is the name that I've given to Hinata's mother. Happy reading!

Chapter 33

Sasuke smiles in the next day when they arrive in the Snow Country. "She's asleep." Their bride had fallen asleep on the way there.

Perhaps that was only to be expected though considering how long a journey the three of them had undergone. In the end though, Sasuke was confident that it would be more than worth it.

"She looks beautiful when she's sleep." Itachi smiles as he gets out of the carriage and scoops her up into his arms. "Well she always does, but there's some thing rather serene about her when she's sleeping."

Sasuke nods in agreement and quickly slips out of the carriage to pay the driver. "Yeah. There is." He smiles at her slumbering form .

Mercifully, it didn't take the newlyweds long to get inside the hotel. They were all ninjas and used to dealing with extreme environments, but that didn't mean that Sasuke wanted to risk frostbite unnecessarily.

"The Snow Country was an interesting choice." Itachi chuckles as they approach the receptionist's desk.

Sasuke nods. He thought so too. "It's beautiful here and it's cold." The idea of making love to Hinata by a fireplace, well it was appealing to him.

It might have had something to do with his Clan's fire association, but he figured it was also just a personal preference. "You just wanted to ravish her by the fireplace and ensure she'd never leave our arms." Itachi chuckles as the receptionist blushes redder than any Sharingan.

"Well that too." Sasuke nods.

The receptionist in question was probably a civilian, Sasuke decides. "H-Honeymoon Suite Number 328. Enjoy your s-stay." Whether or not she recognized them at all was unclear, but the brunette with the blue eyes was definitely blushing. A lot. "Lucky g-girl."

Hinata stirs slightly in Itachi's arms and nods sleepily at the woman whose name tag simply read Kitasha on it. "Very lucky." She blushes and smiles at her husbands as Kitasha hands them the key and they quickly depart for Room 328.

* * *

"Did we wake you?" Sasuke opens the door for Itachi to carry Hinata over the threshold.

She shakes her head. "No. I was waking up anyway." Hinata giggles. "And I don't intend to sleep away my Honeymoon."

Itachi smirks at that as he gently sets her down and Sasuke sets a rather conveniently placed _**DO NOT DISTURB**_ Sign on the door before locking it. Hinata laughs softly at that and kisses them both. Well her husbands were nothing, if not thorough.

"Good." Sasuke returns her kiss and gives her a sexy smirk of his own. "That really is such a beautiful kimono." He darts behind her and toys with the sash.

His elder brother seemed to have similar ideas on his mind. "Indeed. It would be such a shame to tear it." Sasuke nods as he slowly slides the sash off of her, revealing one important fact that he hadn't been aware of previously.

 **Warning Honeymoon Lemon**

Hinata blushes as Sasuke pushes the silky fabric down past her shoulders and towards her hips. Revealing her bare skin. She hadn't bothered with bridal lingerie. Her lovers would probably tear it off her, anyway.

"No lingerie." Sasuke kisses the back her neck. "That was rather practical of you."

Itachi chuckles as he admires the naked form of their lover. "She knows us all too well." She was certainly a feast for the eyes.

The way her dark hair contrasted against her creamy white skin and those lavender eyes were shimmering with unmasked desire was a stunning combination. There was a certain charm to the way the curve of her hips spanned out into her shapely backside and her lovely long legs were on full display. And of course, her breasts.

Her breasts which had always been ample, but now were delightfully even more sensitive than usual. A fact he was more than happy to take advantage of as he caught a nipple in his mouth. "Why don't you sit on the couch and we'll join you?" Sasuke smirks as his brother lightly sucks on their wife's breast and Hinata moans.

"Ah!" Hinata could feel a blush growing over her cheeks as she slowly nods. "A-Alright!"

The brothers quickly strip and one sits on each side of the couch. Hinata was now firmly in the middle. Which Sasuke was quite certain was where she preferred to be when given a choice.

"We'll have to be very, very gentle if we're both going to be with her." Itachi glances at Sasuke with concern. "So conduct yourself properly for once."

Sasuke tries his best not to gape at Itachi as he shakes his head. "You're one to talk." Honestly! Itachi was an even bigger deviant than him!

Hinata laughs and shakes her head. They were both very much capable of being gentle, but it was sweet. Really sweet how they were so worried for her and the twins.

"It's alright." She smiles as she kisses each of them. "I'm not made of glass." Admiring the sight of her gorgeous husbands.

They still did remind her of lions. There was a reason why the medical staff had once called their room the Lions' Den. Both of them were the picture of sensual and predatory grace.

Whether it was Itachi's sun kissed, lithe muscular frame or Sasuke's powerful one that was adorned by ivory skin, it didn't matter. "I promise." Those smoldering eyes were beautiful, no matter the shade or color and well, Hinata could hardly complain about everything below the belt.

It was truly a miracle that they could all fit together, she muses as gets on her hands and knees on the couch and takes the tip of Itachi's arousal into her mouth. Sucking hard. Maybe, they just needed a little _encouragement_.

Itachi groans as he bucks into her mouth and caresses her breasts. "Here we are trying to be gentleman and you have to tempt us so beautifully." Causing her to sigh in pleasure.

"Beautiful." Sasuke agrees with a lustful growl as he gently nudges her legs apart and begins licking her.

Hinata moans and squirms. "S-Sasuke!" There were few things that could match the exquisite torture that were her husbands making love to her with their wickedly wonderful mouths.

"I think he likes licking you while watching you suck me off with that beautiful mouth of yours." Itachi purrs with approval as he lightly bucks against her and fondles her breasts possessively. "Not that I can blame him. There is something hot about seeing your lips wrapped around our cocks."

Sasuke couldn't argue with that as he squeezes her backside and licks faster. She always tasted so sweet. This must be what ambrosia tasted like in those ancient myths, he muses to himself as he erection throbs from the thought of replacing his tongue with something far larger and the sound of Hinata's sweet moans.

"P-Perfect." Itachi pants as Hinata lavishes him with her tongue and begins bobbing her head up and down the length of his cock.

She was now also rubbing Sasuke's as she sucked him off. Their wife was quite the efficient woman.

"Is she already wet?" Itachi glances at Sasuke as gropes Hinata's breasts more and nudges his arousal away from her mouth.

It was quite the test of his self-control, but necessary. "Wetter than an ocean." Sasuke growls lustfully before going back to his current task and teasing her clit.

Hinata moans. She could feel a familiar pressure building between her thighs and Itachi's eyes. Itachi's eyes were on her as Sasuke was licking her. Again and again. She was so wet.

So close and that's when he rubbed her clit in the way that she liked most. "S-SASUKE!" And she came hard and fast.

"Nicely done." Itachi smirks at Sasuke. "You made her cum." The elder Uchiha smiles as he helps Hinata up and places her on her other husband's lap. "So it would seem only fair that she should do the same for you."

Hinata nods as she struggles to catch her breath and kisses Sasuke. Her lover smiles and returns the kiss before turning her around. Her back was now pressed to his chest as one of his hands rubbed her most intimate place and the other caressed her breasts with Itachi watching.

"That does seem only fair." Sasuke nips her ear. "Hinata, do you want Itachi to watch as I fuck you?" He rubs one of her nipples in a lewdly and possessively.

Her face burns bright red as she nods and brushes her womanhood against his erection. "Y-Yes!" There were times when she couldn't believe what she did with her lovers.

Only a couple years ago, Hinata likely would have fainted at the thought of doing such things with anyone. Let alone two people. Yet, here she was indulging Sasuke's exhibitionist streak and Itachi's voyeuristic one.

"Good." Sasuke purrs into her ear as he caresses her breasts with Itachi watching. "Remember nice and slow. I want to make you feel good." He slides inside her. "Not hurt you."

She was about to tell him that he didn't need to worry about that, when Hinata moans. "Oh Gods and Goddesses!" He was already inside her and it felt so damn good!

"I would bend her over the couch or take her on her hands and knees." Itachi's voice was remarkably conversational. "Though that might put unnecessary stress against her. I'm thinking that I'll fuck her against the wall instead."

Sasuke kisses her neck as he thrusts into his lover. Hinata was already bouncing up and down the length of his dick. Slowly, but that just added to the anticipation and pleasure.

How was it possible for anything to feel this good, he wondered? "I think she'd like that." The way they fit together so perfectly was almost indescribable. "She's already so wet just from the thought of it." He watches as her breasts jiggle from the force of his trusts. "You feel so good."

Itachi smirks as he watches. Well if there was one thing he never had to worry about, it was his brother's ability to forge a connection with a woman. Not anymore, at least.

There was something almost poetic about the way Sasuke would ravish her so thoroughly while their sweet Queen blushed and moaned for them. Though that might be because of the way her curvaceous form was currently riding his brother's cock more than anything else.

Every moan sent another shiver of desire through his body. "Y-Yes! T-That sounds good!" Hinata moans as she rocks her lover desperately, likely eager for another release. "Against the wall. S-Sasuke, please!"

She wanted to go faster, but Itachi could see that his brother was a little less than certain about that. So the other man compromises. Sasuke was now thrusting a bit faster, but changing the angle.

Hinata moans as she feels Sasuke so deep inside her. It was like they were one person. Every thrust, every moan felt incredible. It was almost like flying.

She could feel it coming. The waves. The waves in a sea of pleasure that would soon overwhelm her, but in the best way possible.

"Anything for you." Sasuke kisses her ear. "I love you." Thrusting powerfully inside her.

That was all Hinata needed to tumble over the edge. She came hard and fast. With a scream.

Sasuke pants as he slowly slides out of her. Itachi soon got off of the couch and scoops her up into his arms, carrying her to the wall. Sasuke's eyes never leaving them the entire time.

"I love you too." Hinata smiles at Sasuke and then kisses Itachi hotly. "And I love you as well." The bluenette breaks the kiss and caresses his cheek. "I love the both of you so much."

Itachi returns the kiss and the smile. "And I believe that I can speak with the highest confidence that we both feel the same way." Before pushing her against the wall.

Hinata blushes as she feels her breasts pressed against it and her backside exposed to both of her lovers. She was soon moaning however, when Itach rubs his erection against her soaked womanhood.

"He rubs her clit. "I think that Sasuke deserves a good show after that and I want you to enjoy this as much as possible." He watches their wife with a sly smile.

Their wife. That was going to take some getting used to, he thinks to himself as he gently parts her beautiful legs. There really should be a shrine dedicated to Hinata's legs in his opinion. They were simply glorious.

Sasuke shakes his head as he watches from his position on the couch. "You always did have an obsession with her backside. That's why she's facing away from you." The pervert.

"As if you don't share the same obsession." Itachi chuckles as he pumps his fingers inside Hinata's soaked womanhood.

The bluenette sighs in pleasure and bucks against his talented hands. It wasn't the first time that she had noted it, but Itachi and Sasuke simply knew her own body better than she did. The few times she had experimented with self-gratification back in the Sand Village had only ended in frustration. It was a pale comparison to **this**!

Sasuke shrugs at that. "I never said that I didn't." He tsks at Itachi. "You really shouldn't take her waiting like that."

"I do believe you're right." Itachi smirks as he removes his digits and slowly buries himself inside his lover.

Hinata moans and wiggles back against him encouragingly. She could feel the sleek muscles of his chest pressed against her back and his cock deep inside her. It felt unbelievably good.

"I-Itachi!" It made her want to scream.

So she did. Over and over again as he began to take her against the wall. Every thrust made her feel like she was flying.

She didn't know before Itachi and Sasuke what desire actually was. Her idealized version of love had always been so innocent. She had never known that it could be like this.

This sensual madness. The kind that made her forget almost every thing, save for her lover's name and the sounds of passion. The feeling of Itachi's hands all over her. It was as if he couldn't get enough of her and she couldn't get enough of him.

"Keep moaning my name like that." He smacks her backside. "I like it when you do that."

She really did have such a charming ass. It was firm and round and much to his delight, it turned pink rather easily. Such a cute shade of pink it would turn for him whenever he lightly swatted her.

"She always did like being ravished against walls." Sasuke smirks. "If memory serves, that was one of the first fantasies she had about me."

Something about him and her in a stable. At the time, Sasuke had been shocked that she returned his feelings at all. Let alone that she had such a wonderfully naughty side hidden beneath that adorable stutter.

"He's so ridiculously competitive." Itachi chuckles as he lightly bites down on her neck and sucks there. "Ironic considering I'm the one making love to you right now while he watches." He murmurs between sucking on her neck.

He was marking her neck and Hinata knew it. She could feel her other lover's minor annoyance and mild arousal at the act.

"Ah!" Hinata moans. "You both are!" Oh Gods and Goddesses, the feeling of the warmth of his skin against her own and his masculine scent surrounding her was driving Hinata crazy.

His hands were everywhere. On her breasts and squeezing her ass. After teasing her there, they would snake between her thighs and brush against her clit! Making her even wetter.

"You're truly the most beautiful women in the world." Itachi licks her neck soothingly as he pinches one of her nipples. "It's only natural that we would be competitive, really."

"I-ITACHI!" He slams into her faster and faster, making Hinata feel like she was flying ever higher! "I-ITACHI" The bluenette couldn't hold it back anymore.

She came with such a stunning intensity that the young woman was relived her lover held her firmly against the wall. "HINATA!" Otherwise, she was sure that she would have fallen.

Mercifully, Itachi still held her in an erotic embrace as he spilled his release into her. She sighs in pleasure as he nuzzles the side of her neck and they both struggle to catch their breath.

"I'm surprised that you two don't compete over who can give me the most orgasms or something." She laughs at the thought though. "You're far too competitive with each other."

Itachi smirks at that suggestion. "Hmm. That sounds like quite the intriguing idea. Doesn't it, Sasuke?" He looks at his brother with knowing eyes. "What do you say to a friendly little competition?"

"Challenge accepted." Sasuke smirks as Hinata squeaks.

 **End of Honeymoon Lemon**

Uchiha Pouncing Mode had just been activated in a very big way. The next two weeks were spent in a blur. It was a whirlwind of passion. Hinata was quite certain they had made love in every spot that was inside their hotel suite by the time it was over. Multiple times.

Sasuke yawns cutely as he snuggles up to Hinata. "Who won?" The bluenette does her best not to gape at Sasuke, but it was almost impossible not to?

They couldn't be serious. Itachi and Sasuke weren't serious about that silly contest over who could get her to climax the most times on their Honeymoon. She had thought they were joking, but one look at Itachi's and Sasuke's eyes told her that they were not.

"I don't know!" Hinata blushes. "How was I possibly supposed to keep track of that?!"

Itachi shakes his head in amusement and kisses her. "In that case, we'll just consider it a tie and call it even." Yeah. That was good.

The last thing that Hinata needed was for her lovers to get some crazy idea into their heads about seriously competing with each other. The Uchiha Brothers were two ninjas who hated to lose to put it mildly. She'd have to be carried Bridal Style everywhere, if they actually followed through with silly sensual competitions like that!

Back in the Leaf Village, Hiashi frowns. He still didn't know what he was going to do about Hinata.

"Father, don't you think that this has gone on long enough?" Hanabi sighs as she places Hiashi's tea on his desk. "Haven't we all suffered enough for the sake of pride?

That only causes his frown to deepen though. "One day, Hanabi, you will understand." Attending Hinata's private wedding was one thing, but forgiving her publicly was another matter.

Hinata had seemed so happy to see him though that he felt his resolve stiffen. Of course, initially she had been shocked, but after that the woman had consented to having him walk her down the aisle. A fact which still shocked him.

He knew that his eldest daughter was a forgiving person, but he hadn't expected that. "What I understand is you're going to miss out on knowing your first grandchildren over pride." Hanabi sighs as she looks at him with pleading eyes. "Is it truly worth it, Father? Is your pride worth that much to you?"

"It's not just my pride, Hanabi." He sighs heavily as he looks at his daughter, hoping against hope that somehow she'd be able to understand. "It's the pride of all of our Clan. We can't possibly sanction this outrageous behavior and you know that!"

It was now Hanabi's turn to frown. Truthfully, it was not an expression that suited her. She had always been such a happy and lively child. So full of light and fire and now, that fire looked as though it was about to burn him alive.

"Clan Pride can be damned!" Hanabi seethes at him. "What is the point of being part of a Clan, if family means nothing more than pride?!"

That causes him to stand up and glare at her. That wasn't true. She was being deliberately obtuse!

"A Clan is built on many things, but without pride it will not survive in the long run." He sighs as he looks at her somewhat apologetically. "I saw the love in their eyes. I thought their relationship was one of just deviancy, but Hinata has still deeply wounded this family with her actions."

Hanabi wasn't in any mood to listen though, it seemed. Then again, she had always been a stubborn girl. She was like her mother that way.

"It's not they who are in the wrong." Her voice was like ice. "It's the Clan and this village. They found love. They found it twice." Biting and cold. "That is something that should be celebrated! Not punished!"

Emiko had never been this aggressive though, but she would have said something similar. Hiashi knew that deep down and that's what made this choice so difficult.

Honor or love? Which was more important to him? He knew what Emiko would have chosen, but she wasn't here.

Shouldn't he do what was best for the Clan? "Perhaps, you have a point." Not just what made him happy personally? "Unfortunately, society doesn't work that way!"

What kind of Clan Leader would he be, if he were to tolerate this form of behavior? It would certainly send the wrong message. If he tolerated it from Hinata, what was to stop multiple Hyugas from taking more than one spouse? Nothing!

It would be complete and utter chaos. And yet, Hanabi was right. He was cutting his grandchildren out of his life.

He couldn't deny that was a very painful thought. "Well maybe it should!" And with that being said, Hanabi storms out of his study. Leaving him to his thoughts.

Could he really do that? Could Hiashi just ignore their existence? The very thought was painful, but it was what would be proper. Though he had already gone to her wedding.

"Gods and Goddesses, give me strength." He sighs as he pours himself a ridiculously large cup of sake. "Why did it have to be the Uchiha Brothers?!"

Anyone else would have been better. Naruto, one of her teammates, a civilian, or even only one of the brothers all would have been a better choice than both of them, but no. Hinata had to go and fall in love with Sasuke and Itachi. She couldn't just pick one!

"I'm going to need a lot more sake to deal with this." He shakes his head as he ponders his options.

One thing was clear though. Hiashi Hyuga needed to speak with Hinata. One way or another, this matter was going to be settled in the near future. It was the proper thing to do. For the sake of everyone's sanity, he would go into the Lions' Den. Into the Uchiha District and speak with his wayward daughter before she officially made him a grandfather!


	34. Chapter 34

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note** : Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Unless otherwise indicated in a flashback, Hinata is now five months pregnant because some time has passed since the last chapter. Oh and do feel free to weigh in when you would like the twins to be born. I'm thinking next chapter or the chapter after that.

Chapter 34

"I look like a pufferfish." Hinata sulks as she looks in the mirror.

It was the early evening and the bluenette thought she was alone, but she was soon proven wrong. A pair of powerful arms wraps around her and she felt someone place a gentle kiss to the back of her neck. Itachi.

The bluenette had assumed that Sasuke would still be at the Academy and Itachi would be at the hospital. Though she really should have realized this would have happened. Her appointment was in an hour.

Itachi laughs softly as he holds her closely. "You look beautiful." He smiles at her in that serene way that the expectant mother had come to expect from him. "You always do."

"Maybe you look like a pufferfish, but you're carrying twins." She hears Sasuke's voice as her other lover walks into their bedroom. "So it's to be expected. Besides, you're our pufferfish and the sexiest pufferfish in all the land as Itachi's fairy tales would say."

Hinata shakes her head at that. "I don't know whether to find that sweet or if I should smack you." Sasuke was more prone to casual teasing than Itachi was.

The new Uchiha Matriarch pawned this off to the age difference though. Itachi had five years on them and in the ninja world that could make a very big difference. Still, it was something of a relief to see Sasuke make jokes. He really was trying his best to move on from the horrors of his past.

"At the rate our twins are going, she could always just have them kick you for her." Itachi smirks. "They've been kicking quite a bit. I think they're excited for the appointment." Yes, they had been kicking a lot.

Sasuke smirks at that. "Well that's true." Her husbands really were so proud of the twins. "You ready to go, Hinata?" He looks at her with concern.

In particular, they each seemed to find her stomach fascinating. Itachi enjoyed feeling the kicks. Sasuke found every opportunity that he could to touch her stomach and well Itachi was still reading fairytales.

She suspected the last part was in response to Itachi's own dreadfully brief childhood. In some ways, his had been cut even more short than Sasuke's had and that was certainly saying something. It still amazed her that Itachi was so willing to have a family, despite everything he had been through.

"Sasuke, my appointment isn't for another hour." Hinata laughs.

Sasuke nods at that, but the bluenette already knew what was about to happen. Her husbands were going to drag her to the hospital early. Itachi might be better at hiding it, but she could tell her younger lover wasn't the only one who was eager for this appointment.

Today was the day that they were likely going to find out the gender or genders of the twins. They both claimed not to have a preference, but Hinata didn't really believe that. Deep down, most people did.

Itachi shakes his head as he caresses her cheek adoringly. "I believe that my foolish little brother is hoping that we'll be able to get in early." Yeah. That's what Hinata thought as well.

"It never hurts." Sasuke shrugs, feigning innocence. "Better too early than too late."

He wasn't nearly as good at acting as Itachi was though. Sasuke just had a more honest face, she supposed. That or his elder brother understandably had far more practice hiding his feelings than Sasuke did. That thought made her wince.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" Itachi looks at her with anxious eyes.

Damn it. He must have seen her wince. "Yes, I'm fine. Just some bad memories." She smiles at them both. "We should get going. It's never a good idea to keep someone like Tsunade waiting."

The Uchiha Brothers couldn't argue with her logic and thus the entire family soon heads off to the hospital. Hinata felt nervous and excited. So nervous and excited in fact, she almost forgot that she now resembled a small beluga whale.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiashi sighs as he prepares to head for dinner. He knew that Hinata would be finding out the gender of her children shortly and honestly, he didn't know how to feel about that.

"You shouldn't let such things trouble you." Rei smiles at him.

Normally, such an occasion would be a happy one. Though his relationship with Hinata was strained at best. He had managed to salvage something. That was mostly because of Sasuke's meddling though.

 _"What are you doing here?" Itachi's eyes narrowed the moment Hiashi set foot into their house._

 _The District had been rebuilt, but it wasn't hard to tell which house they were living in. It was the only one with lights on, after all. The process of elimination could be a rather useful tools at times like these._

 _In hindsight, he should have expected that. The fact that the brothers hadn't attacked him at the wedding was frankly a miracle, but now he was in their private home. It was only natural that they would be less than pleased to see him._

 _Hiashi sighed as he braced himself for the inevitable battle that was to come. "I came to speak with my daughter." He supposed that they would have been rather poor husbands, if they weren't overprotective at a time like this._

 _"I didn't expect you to actually take my words to heart." Sasuke eyed him with caution as he looked at Hinata. "Well it's up to you, My Love."_

 _"Or my slap." Itachi glared at the Hyuga Patriarch._

 _Well he had deserved that. Unfortunately, Hiashi knew that what he was about to do was very foolish. The wisest course of action would have been to ignore their existence, but he just couldn't quite bring himself to do that._

 _Whatever her decisions, Hinata was still his daughter. That bond refused to be severed so easily. No matter who she had chosen for her lovers._

 _His eyes narrowed at Itachi. "Yes, I remember that slap." It still burned him that the eldest Uchiha would treat him with such disrespect._

 _Hinata must have sensed the impending bloodbath because his daughter intervened. "Itachi, Sasuke, I'd like to speak with him." The bluenette sighed as she let out a rather shaky breath. "If possible, I would like for our children to know their grandfather."_

 _Understandably, Sasuke and Itachi looked less than thrilled by Hinata's answer. Though neither of them, actively protested. While he didn't approve of their relationship, Hiashi was still oddly pleased by the fact that Hinata obviously had them wrapped around her fingers._

 _"Alright." Sasuke kissed her cheek._

 _Itachi nodded as he did the same. "Call us, if you need us. We won't let him upset you." He promised as he walked off with Sasuke._

The conversation had been awkward to say the least. For now, Hinata was still barred from the Hyuga Clan Grounds. Though their relationship was slowly improving and Hiashi knew that Hanabi was very happy about that.

"Rei, I say this with all due respect, I will decide does and doesn't trouble me." The woman was such a power climber, but she had done right by the Clan.

It was her quick thinking that had saved their honor and caused Hiashi's heart to break. He didn't know whether to be grateful or if he wanted to ring her pretty little neck in all honesty.

That was a disturbing though really. Hiashi Hyuga was a man who was very much used to being in control of his emotions and ever since Hinata had taken the Uchiha Brothers as her lovers, that hadn't been the case. It was maddening!

* * *

A few minutes later, Itachi smiles as they arrive in Tsunade's Office. The busty blonde was in charge of Hinata's prenatal care. Mostly because the brothers wouldn't trust anyone else, save for Sakura with their wife's pregnancy.

"How are you feeling, today?" Tsunade smiles at the bluenette encouragingly.

Hinata smiles back. Truly, motherhood looked rather serene on the young woman. "Much better. No more Morning Sickness." Well unless the bluenette didn't have her precious cinnamon rolls. (When that happened, serenity went out the window faster than he could throw a kunai)!

The blonde laughs softly at that as she sets takes Hinata's vitals. After that, she swiftly sets up the ultrasound. Itachi notes that she was warming up the gel as well. Which was good. He had heard that stuff could be almost unbearably cold otherwise!

"Excellent." Tsunade nods. "Have they been kicking? It's still a bit early yet." She smiles at their wife reassuringly. Obviously trying to soothe any anxieties that the anxious parents might have.

Sasuke smirks at the question. Itachi knew that his brother was rather pleased with himself. "Oh yes. They've been kicking." Whether he was a proud father or uncle didn't matter in a way. "A lot." Their family was being restored and that obviously made his brother incredibly smug.

Truthfully, it was all rather adorable. It was as if Sasuke had been transformed into a child again, himself. The child that he had never been allowed to be for more than few painfully short years.

"Ah well that's good." Tsunade glances at the machine. "Did the three of you wish to know their genders or would you prefer to be surprised?"

Hinata giggles at that question. "We would like to know." The expectant mother's eyes were sparkling with anticipation and happiness. "It's going to drive us crazy, otherwise."

That was true. Itachi might not have a strong preference one way or another, but it would be nice to know what to address children by. Was Hinata carrying boys, girls, or perhaps fraternal twins? Right now, they didn't know.

Tsunade laughs softly at that as she turns her attention to the screen. "I understand." Her keen eyes examining it closely. "Well lets see what you're having then."

Itachi nods as he watches the medic work her magic. He was also a medic as well, of course. Though Itachi had never done this.

Never before had he been put in a position to inform someone what the gender of their child (or children) was going to be. It was quite the awesome responsibility to say the least.

"Well they are quite active." Tsunade shakes her head in amusement. "I have to say that much. They're both squirming around."

Itachi chuckles as a thought occurs to him. "Perhaps, they know what is coming and they're shy." He glances at Sasuke. "Meaning they're probably yours as they're behaving a bit foolishly. We're going to find out anyway, but they insist on making things difficult."

"I'm the one who makes things difficult?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow incredulously.

Itachi nods as he pokes Sasuke's forehead. "That's right. You did jump to conclusion and run off for several months." He was only teasing Sasuke, but it was still true.

Sasuke sighs and kisses Hinata's forehead as he glares at Itachi. "True, but I'm never making that mistake again." He promises her.

Itachi smiles at that. He knew that his brother truly did love Hinata and so did he. He doubted there was another woman out there who could have ever handled both of them.

One of them would have been difficult enough, but both of them was seemingly impossible. And yet, Hinata did it with ease.

He could only hope that she would be the same with the twins. "I know." Though judging by that smile, there was nothing for him to worry about.

Hinata would make a wonderful mother. He just hoped that they would make equally wonderful fathers. Sasuke was certainly eager, but Itachi was not without his anxieties.

He didn't deserve this. Not after everything that he had done. "Alright. I think that I've got a good shot." But like Hell was he ever going to give any of them up. "They do love to squirm." This time, Itachi wasn't letting his family go. Not now, not ever. "You're the proud parents of two beautiful baby girls."

 _ **Thud!**_ Suddenly two Uchiha Brothers fell over in shock. They were having daughters and most likely identical twin daughters at that!

"Two Uchiha Princesses." Hinata giggles. "Well that does sound nice."

* * *

Elsewhere Kiba couldn't lie, he was definitely nervous. Nervous for Hinata and well for the village in general. She was now about halfway through her pregnancy and well, one way or another that was going to shake the very foundations of the Leaf.

"Kiba, I think you've destroyed all the training posts." Shino raises an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

Kurenai knew though and the Inuzuka knew that she knew. That only made sense though. She was a mother and his teammate had never really been the most social of people. He might not have noticed the implications.

"He's worried about Hinata." The Genjutsu Mistress sighs. "Kiba, don't be." She smiles at her most boisterous student. "Itachi and Sasuke love her. That much is obvious. Everything will be fine."

Kiba wasn't so sure though. Even if Sasuke and Itachi had changed, the fact of the matter was a woman being married to two men was pretty damn scandalous in this village and now, she was pregnant!

Those kids were likely going to have the Sharingan, Byakugan, or maybe a new bloodline. Which would have been thrilling and terrifying enough to begin with, but their father was either Itachi or Sasuke Uchiha. So that only made it worse.

"I'm not worried about them doing anything to her or the kids." He sighs. Of course, those overachieving bastards would give Hinata two bundles of joy because one wasn't enough. "More like what they'll do, if the rest of the village doesn't play nicely with the twins."

Kurenai and Shino both immediately wince at that. Yeah. Now, they were getting Kiba's point.

There was only one question left to answer. What the Hell were they going to do about it? Gods and Goddesses help anyone, if someone gave those kids a dirty look or something.

"That's a fair point." Shino sighs as he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I hadn't considered that before."

Their Sensei sighs and nods. "I'll have to talk to them." Yeah. Maybe, that'd be a good idea. "I think they're going to need more than the sexy lingerie gift to get through all this."

She was a mom. Kurenai understood these sorts of things. Wait. What?! What had that been about sexy lingerie?!

"Sexy lingerie?!" Kiba gapes at his Sensei.

Shino shakes his head though. Apparently, he didn't see anything strange about the woman's announcement. That surely must have been the case because he quickly covers his teammate's mouth.

"That would likely be a very good idea." Shino nods approvingly. "You're a parent yourself. I'm sure that they'll find your perspective invaluable."

The canine lover couldn't believe this! Their Sensei had given their sweet and innocent teammate lingerie while she was pregnant! He fails! That was just too bizarre.

"Alright. I'll speak to them soon the matter." Kurenai smiles sweetly. "If memory serves, I believe they had a doctor's appointment today. So it will have to wait until tomorrow."

* * *

Back in Tsunade's Office, Sasuke manages to get off the floor. He wasn't sure why he had fallen over. In retrospect, there were really only three possibilities. Two girls, two boys, or one of each.

It was just that hearing it out loud made it more real in a way that it hadn't before. Sasuke had known that Hinata was pregnant, but he hadn't really _known_ it. Now that the children had a gender, that made it seem more real.

"And they're both developing normally." Tsunade smiles at them as Itachi slowly rises to his feet. "Though with twins it's common to have earlier deliveries than expected. So really, during your eighth month of pregnancy, I wouldn't make any plans." The blonde pauses and adds. "Not that I would advise any woman that far along to do so, but especially woman carrying twins."

Sasuke nods dumbly as he caresses Hinata's cheek. "We understand." He smiles at their wife.

She might not be particularly happy about looking like a "pufferfish," but that was just another sign that they were really going to have a family. Whether the children belonged to Itachi or Sasuke in a way was irrelevant. They were his family.

It was selfish of him to hope that the twins were his, but Sasuke knew that he would cope somehow…if they weren't. After all, Itachi deserved a chance at fatherhood as well and it was likely that Hinata would be willing to humor them with a second pregnancy.

"That's wonderful news." Itachi smiles as he kisses the top of Hinata's head. "We should probably get you home. You need your rest."

That was true. Now, Sasuke was even more relieved about the Maternity Leave. He didn't want to risk letting Hinata out of his sight anymore. Not when she was carrying the future of their Clan and more importantly, their family.

"I'm pregnant." Hinata laughs softly as Itachi scoops her into his arms. "Not sick. Tsunade, will you please explain that to them?"

The blonde woman shakes her head in amusement. There would be absolutely no reasoning with those two. She just knew it.

Of course, that was the way of things with first time fathers in general, but the Uchiha Brothers were rather special in this category. They had both lost so much. It was only to be expected that the two of them would fuss worse than mother hens.

"I can try." She smiles softly. "But we both know that they won't listen."

She shakes her head again as she places something in Sasuke's hands. The Uchiha looks down at it quizzically and Tsunade laughs once again.

"Prenatal vitamins." It was probably best to explain what she'd given him. "I imagine that she's running low on those by now."

Sasuke nods as he pockets the bottle. "You're right. I was going to pick some up after the appointment, but thanks." Pigs must be flying, Tsunade muses.

Sasuke Uchiha had just said thank you and Hinata of all people was his wife. Not only that. She was also Itachi's wife as well and carrying their children.

Idly, she wonders which brother had fathered the twins. Did they even know? Would such a thing matter to them?

Tsunade quickly dismisses those thoughts though. "You should take her home and celebrate." It didn't matter.

The Uchiha Brothers were preparing for fatherhood (or to become an uncle). The Leaf was never going to be the same. She knew that much for a fact.

"We will." Sasuke smirks as the three of them Flicker off.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Hinata was once again sitting in Sasuke's arms as Itachi was writing a letter. A letter to her father. To inform him about the twins.

"Itachi, are you sure that you can write a civil letter?" Hinata glance at him nervously as she snuggles against Sasuke.

She knew that Itachi likely had a better chance of doing so than Sasuke. Still, that wasn't exactly saying much. The very fact that her younger lover hadn't punched Hiashi during his conversation with him before the wedding was nothing, short of a miracle.

Hinata didn't feel like pushing her luck further. "Better him than me." And Sasuke's words just confirmed it.

Itachi smiles at her and caresses her cheek adoringly. "I can manage." He then frowns and sighs. "I might not like your father, but I know that this is important to you. So it's important to me too."

 _ **Dear Hiashi Hyuga,**_

 _ **I am writing to inform you that it has been confirmed Hinata is carrying two healthy twins and they are both girls. Whether you wish to see them or not after they are born, that is entirely up to you. Though I will not tolerate anyone upsetting my wife and children. Neither will Sasuke. Please respond at your earliest convenience.**_

 _ **Sincerely, Itachi Uchiha.**_

Sasuke rolls his eyes at the Dear part. "You couldn't address him as anything else?" There were a lot of things that he wanted to call the Hyuga Patriarch, but Dear certainly wasn't one of them.

"It's tradition." Itachi shrugs.

Hinata shakes her head. "Well I'm glad that you kept it mostly civil." Sasuke couldn't help, but smirk at that.

Their wife was an amazing woman. In addition to being beautiful and kind, Hinata was also highly intelligent. She could read between the lines. Itachi had threatened Hiashi Hyuga, but it seemed for the moment…the bluenette was willing to overlook that.

"Here we go." Itachi smiles as he attaches the scroll to a messenger hawk's feet. "Deliver this to Hiashi Hyuga and there will be a tasty treat in it for you, when you get back." The elder Uchiha Brother smirks as the bird flies off with the utmost haste!

"For you, My Love…I'm willing to do anything." Itachi smiles as he kisses her.

Sasuke shakes his head as Hinata kisses back. "You're such a suckup." Who would have ever imagined that his brother would be so easily whipped?

Not that Sasuke was in a position to really judge him though. If anything, he might actually be worse than Itachi. Still, Itachi was Itachi. It was rather surreal to see him behaving in this way.

"Of course." Itachi smiles at Sasuke smugly. "I'm going to suck up to the woman that we love because sometimes she returns the favor."

Sasuke swats him for that. "Pervert." Honestly, Itachi might actually be more of a deviant than even him!

Hinata laughs as she watches them and smiles down at her now rounded stomach. She pats it lightly and shakes her head at their antics. Her life had definitely taken some unexpected turns recently, but she wouldn't have it anyway.

"Those men are your fathers and they can be very silly at times, but we love them anyway." She smiles as rubs her belly more. "Because they love us and I'll do my best to ensure they don't smother the two of you too much. And hopefully, we'll finally manage to choose your names."

The baby book had so many names in it, that at times Hinata doubted they'd ever be able to pick just two. They had whittled it down to about two hundred though. She shakes her head at the thought.

Perhaps, they'd be ready by the time the twins were born. Well at least that's what Hinata was hoping. After all, as much as she liked the nickname Uchiha Princesses, the twins did need official names! (No matter what her husband's might say)!


	35. Chapter 35

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter because the twins have arrived and their father (or fathers) will be revealed. For those of you who didn't get the result you wanted, don't worry. There will be more Uchiha later on in the epilogue. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** Three and a half months have passed since last chapter. I've also done a couple scenes from the babies' perspective.

Chapter 35

"You really love your cinnamon rolls." Sasuke chuckles as he caresses Hinata's cheek.

The three of them were enjoying a lazy day. Hinata was now well into her eighth month of her pregnancy and thus, he and Itachi had taken time off work. They all knew that the twins would be arriving soon and neither brother wanted to risk being at work when their wife went into labor.

Hinata laughs softly between bites of her favorite treat. "Mhm." She smiles slyly at Sasuke. "Almost as much as you love your tomatoes."

"She's got you there." Itachi smirks at his younger brother. His eyes alight with mischief. "You're obsessed with them. Almost as much as you're obsessed with her beautiful breasts." He kisses Hinata's temple adoringly.

Pft. As if Itachi was really much better! There was a reason why Hinata was pregnant in the first place and it wasn't just because of him! Itachi was just as much, if not more of a pervert than Sasuke.

"And you're rather fixated on her lovely behind." He rolls his eyes. "So don't you tease me about my preferences!"

"You two are impossible." Hinata smiles and swallows another bite of her roll before her eyes widened in panic. "My water just broke!"

Those words triggered an immediate reaction! Sasuke jumps out of the bed. As does Itachi and the brothers Flicker the three of them to the hospital in record time.

"We need to see Lady Tsunade or Sakura immediately!" Itachi dashes over towards the receptionist.

Fortunately, Hinata notes that the receptionist was an intelligent woman. She took one look at Hinata's swollen belly and quickly deduced what was happening and the woman in question knew better than to make panicking Uchihas wait. So she presses the speaker button.

"Lady Tsunade, Hinata Uchiha is here and has gone into labor. Where should I send her?" Thank goodness for small miracles.

There was a pause. The bluenette was sure that it was because Tsunade was likely terrified at the moment. "Send her to delivery Room 432. I'll be there as soon as I can." Another pause. "And tell the fathers not to panic. Women have been doing this since the dawn of time."

The receptionist nods. "Yes, My Lady." She then swiftly proceeds to turn off the speaker, but it wasn't fast enough.

Hinata was already being escorted to Room 432 by her husbands. They certainly weren't in the mood to waste any time, it seemed. Then again, neither was she.

Hinata was a medic. That meant she had a pretty good idea what to expect as far as childbirth went and to be honest, most of it was far from pleasant. She shivers slightly at the thought, but hopes that her lovers didn't notice.

So naturally, they did notice. "Don't be afraid." Itachi smiles at her as he leads her inside the delivery room. "We'll be right beside you and you have arguably the second best medic in the world looking after you."

Sasuke nods in agreement. "Second only to you." He smiles and kisses her head as he helps her get into the bed.

That should have been an easy feat. It really should have, but this far into her third trimester, it wasn't. Though that possibly might had something to do with the fact that she was carrying twins instead of one child, she idly muses to herself as a rather anxious looking blonde woman rushes in with a mousy brunette and pink haired woman at her side.

"How far are your contractions?" She looks at her. "Did your water break?"

This was the start of childbirth. Hinata glances at her husbands and smiles at them briefly before returning her attention to Tsunade. "My water broke and I haven't timed the contractions."

Tsunade nods and well, Hinata mentally braces herself. It was likely going to be a very, very long day. Well at least she'd be able to hold their twins in her arms soon enough, the bluenette comforts herself by thinking.

What felt like an eternity later, but was really less than a day, Sasuke was trying his best not to panic. They had been at this for hours, but he knew that Hinata was really close to delivery the twins. She was crowning.

 **Warning Delivery Scene**

"That's it!" Tsunade smiles at her encouragingly. "I can see the head!" Well one of the heads, Sasuke mentally corrects her.

His wife looked truly exhausted and Sasuke couldn't blame her. He and Itachi had been by her side the whole time. Through every scream, contraction, and wince. Each time, he felt her pain as if it had been his own.

Both mentally and literally. Hinata had gripped onto both of their hands so tightly, that Sasuke wasn't entirely certain she hadn't broken his hand. He'd worry about that later though. Right now, all that mattered was Hinata and the twins.

"Push!" Sakura was also trying to encourage Hinata, but her efforts were apparently not appreciated.

Sasuke had never seen Hinata so aggressive before. "YOU PUSH!" His sweet and amiable wife was now a vicious, snarling tigress, even Itachi was a bit taken aback.

"I wouldn't recommend telling her to do that again." Itachi shakes his head.

His eyes were scanning over their wife's form, just as Sasuke's were. It was an utterly bizarre feeling to look down and realize there was another _person_ coming out of his wife. Well actually, two people!

Right now though, he could only see part of a head. Sasuke could make out one thing about their eldest daughter. She had Hinata's midnight blue hair and very light skin.

That last part wasn't surprising though. None of them had a particularly dark complexion. So that was something of a given.

"Itachi!" Sakura snaps at him. "Stop telling me how to do my job!"

"AND STOP YELLING AT MY HUSBAND!" Hinata glares at Sakura as Itachi gives the pink haired woman a smug look. "I'm the only one allowed to do that!" Which falters when Itachi hears the rest of that command.

Sasuke chuckles. He needed that. He needed something to laugh at. She was so close though. He could see the head. It was almost over and soon enough, they'd be able to hold their daughters in their arms as Hinata got some much needed rest!

Tsunade shakes her head at the entire scene. "You're almost there, Hinata." Wisely, the woman didn't say the word _push_ Sasuke notes with amusement.

Hinata responded a bit better to that. So she kept pushing and pushing. Soon enough a loud cry was heard throughout the room. The bundle of joy was handed to Shizune.

Sasuke wanted to protest that. He wanted to hold her first or at least Hinata and Itachi should have been given the first right to do so, but he didn't have time. Another scream ripped through the room as Hinata delivered their second child.

"WAHHH!" Who came into the world with a roar.

Shizune by this time, seemed to have decided that their eldest was in fact healthy. "Sakura, I need you to help clean up Hinata and that bed." She smiles at the other medic. "While I have a look at the second one." Tsunade nods approvingly as she takes the first newborn and hands Shizune the second.

"They're beautiful." Itachi smiles as he watches Sakura quickly scramble to help Hinata clean up and the other two medics inspect their children while giving them their vaccinations and filling out their charts.

"And they're both perfectly healthy." Tsunade smiles as she places the newborns in Hinata's arms, a few moments later.

 **End of Delivery Scene**

Well that had been rather traumatizing, Itachi thinks to himself as he watches Hinata nurse their beautiful daughters in her loving arms for the first time. Traumatizing, but worth it.

It was impossible not to marvel at the two tiny, squirming bundles. How could one not fall for their adorable little faces? He felt a small flash of disappointment as he looked at them though. There was no mystery which of them was the father. Sasuke was.

"They're perfect, Hinata." He kisses her forehead as he looks down at them.

Indeed they were. Any disappointment he felt upon determining that was soon squashed. His nieces were frankly the most adorable things that he had ever seen in his life.

They had Hinata's midnight blue hair, the shape of her eyes, and her smile. The rest was all Sasuke though. The ivory pale skin, those ears, and those little noses.

"Don't worry." Hinata kisses Itachi. "If you want, next time you can be the father." She looks up at him with anxious eyes.

He smiles and kisses her back though. It was kind of her. To worry about him, even when she must surely be exhausted form spending the better part of a day bringing two new, perfect little brings in to the world.

"I'd like that, but there's no hurry." He smiles at her. "You have to recover and we've got more pressing issues on our mind." Itachi glances down at the newborns who were currently nursing, rather happily. "They'll need names."

Sasuke was looking at Hinata and his daughters so adoringly, it was impossible to feel anything, but warmth. His foolish little brother was now a foolish little father. How could he not be happy for him?

"I think I have names for them." Sasuke smiles. "Aiko for the eldest. It means beloved." He pauses and smiles down at the second born. "And Ami for our youngest. It means friend. She has such friendly eyes."

How Sasuke could possibly tell the two children apart was honestly beyond Itachi. "Sasuke, they're identical. They both have friendly eyes!" The two sisters looked exactly alike. He couldn't tell Aiko from Ami to save his life!

Sasuke smiles at Itacih and then down at the twins. "They look alike, but their expressions are very different from one another." Right. Itachi decides to pawn this off to fatherly pride because they were born only a few minutes ago. Their expressions weren't that different at this point!

* * *

Meanwhile Hanabi was dragging her father to the hospital. This time, she was going to put her foot down. There was no alternative.

"You're coming with me, Father." Once he saw his granddaughters, he would come to his senses. "Hinata has gone into labor. She needs us." She was sure of it.

Hiashi was giving her a rather incredulous look, but that wouldn't stop the Hyuga Heiress. No. This time would be different! Of that much, she was absolutely certain!

"Is it really necessary to drag me by the ear and make a spectacle of ourselves?" He sighs as the younger Hyuga proceeds to do exactly that.

Yes, it was necessary! Unfortunately, pride had blinded her father. Hanabi loved him dearly, but he could be extremely stubborn sometimes!

She understood that he was only doing what he thought was best, but this was not best. This wasn't best for Hinata, this wasn't best for her, their father, or their Clan in general!

She nods her head enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, it is." And it'd be good to get him away from that witch Rei.

Hanabi knew exactly what she was up to. This was all Rei's fault. She was trying to ensure that Hinata was never allowed back into the Clan again. Not that it mattered now. Hinata was now an Uchiha by marriage.

"Alright." He shakes his head. "Though she might very well still be in labor or in recovery." Hanabi nods in understanding.

"Well if that's the case, we'll just wait until she's out of them!" She smiles at her father as if such a conclusion was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hiashi sighs and Hanabi beams. She knew that she had won. As soon as he saw his grandchildren, the Hyuga Heiress knew that he would see things her way.

* * *

At that same moment, Hinata smiles down at her children and Aiko coos at her mother. This had to be her mother. She recognized her voice.

Her mother was nice and soft. Warm. She also fed her. So she liked her Mommy and now, she had lots of room to stretch out. Which was good. It had been starting to get a little uncomfortable in that place they were before. The dark place.

"Aiko and Ami." Hinata smiles and kisses their foreheads. "Our little Uchiha Princesses."

There were two men smiling at them. She assumed these were her Daddies. Again, she recognized their voice.

They kept calling them Aiko and Ami. Those must be their names! Hmm. It looked like her sister was Ami. The big people kept looking at her when they said that and she got looks when they said Aiko.

"Yes." Sasuke nods proudly.

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "Well no paternity tests were necessary this time." He glances at Tsunade. "There were no problems?"

The blonde shakes her head. Aiko knew that she was being talked about, but like her sister she was a bit distracted by nursing. Besides, she felt fine and the big people didn't seem upset. So everything must be okay.

"Yes, they're both perfectly healthy." Tsunade reassures them with a smile.

Sakura looks at the twins in wonder. "They're beautiful, Hinata." She smiles at her friend. "Poor Sasuke and Itachi are going to have their hands full in a few years."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean?" Hmm. Daddy sounded a bit skeptical there.

"Chasing away the village boys." The pink haired woman laughs.

Before Sasuke could mutter a response though, Hiashi Hyuga walks in with Hanabi. "We were told that it was safe to visit." He greets them awkwardly.

It was strange. To see his daughter in a hospital bed and nursing two daughters of her own. Of course, Hiashi had known that she was pregnant. He'd known that for months, but actually seeing her with two small bundles in her arms well that drove the point home.

"Father!" Hinata smiles at him.

The poor thing was clearly exhausted. Though anyone would be. After giving birth to twins.

He smiles at her and cautiously approaches while Hanabi maintains a respectful distance. Probably because she was hoping that he and Hinata would at last heal the rift that had separated them.

"How are you feeling?" She must have had a fairly safe delivery, if she was up to nursing the twins already. "How are the girls?"

"Exhausted and sorer than I have ever been in my life." Hinata smiles down at them. "But it was worth it. This is Aiko and this is her little sister, Ami."

Suddenly, Hiashi was rather glad their last name was Uchiha. Had that not been the case, Ami would have been a Branch Member. She was the younger sister. It would have been unavoidable.

Ami looks up as she sees someone looking at them. He had eyes like Mommy, but she didn't recognize his voice. Curiously, she reaches out her hands to him.

Unfortunately, she didn't have much control over her body yet. So mostly, she was just reaching and flailing. Thankfully, he chuckles and scoops her up.

"Such an adventurous little thing." He smiles down at her.

The big people did that a lot, Ami decides. They must really be happy to see them. Which made her happy. So she coos.

"And such a happy child." He smiles down at her.

Sasuke smirks at that and Ami instinctively knew her Daddy was up to something. "Well who wouldn't be happy? All she has to do is eat, sleep, and cuddle up to Hinata's breasts all day." Hmm. The man with the eyes like Mommy now was making a really funny face and he was twitching a lot!

Hanabi rubs the back of her head sheepishly and darts over. "Everyone play nicely!" Ami giggles at that.

Everyone was making such silly faces! It was so funny! She smiles up at them all and snuggles into her grandfather's arms.

"Yes, well I suppose that I should have surmised you would say something like that." Hiashi rolls his eyes as if the thought was irritating somehow. "One doesn't have to wonder too hard how the twins came into this world."

Tsunade shakes her head at this. "Well, I think that's enough excitement for one day." She smiles at everyone. "Hinata needs her rest and Sakura, try to keep Naruto and Team Eight from busting down the doors."

Sakura nods in understanding. "Yes, Lady Tsunade." She nods once more and towards the door, gesturing for Hanabi and Hiashi to follow her.

"They're wonders, Hinata." Hiashi smiles as he gently deposits little Ami back into her mother's loving arms. "Which is something of a miracle considering who their fathers are. We shall be back tomorrow."

The bluenette shakes her head at her fathers not so subtle jab and nods. "Alright." Some things would never change. Though she took it as a very good sign that he had come at all.

Maybe, they could find a way to repair their relationship. Somehow. Her father was taking some very important steps towards doing so that she knew weren't easy for him to make.

Hiashi nods and quickly departs with Hanabi. Though he didn't manage to do so without giving his grandchildren one last lingering glance.

"Well Shizune, I think that the new family should have some alone time to get to know each other better." Tsunade smiles. "Itachi is a trained medic. So I'm sure he has things handled here and if not, hit that red button on the controller by the bed and that will summon more medics in case of emergency."

Shizune nods in agreement as the two of them head off. Hinata nods in acknowledgement as she hands Aiko to Sasuke and Ami to Itachi.

* * *

"Well that went far better than I ever could have expected." She lets out a sigh of relief.

Itachi smiles down at the adorable bundle in his arms. "That's because not even Hiashi Hyuga could resist such cuteness." They were going to have a very hard time in a few years.

Sakura was absolutely right about that. The Village boys were about to become far more annoying than they ever used to be. That was alright though. Itachi wouldn't let anything happen to his precious nieces. Their little Uchiha Princesses.

Hinata smiles and nods in agreement as she watches her lovers cuddle up to their children. "That's true." To Hinata they were the most adorable children in the world.

Admittedly, she was rather biased though. The bluenette was quite certain that all mothers felt the same way about their children.

"Hopefully, the Loser doesn't cause them to go deaf though." Sasuke shakes his head in amusement.

Sadly, the former Heiress wasn't entirely sure that her younger husband was joking as he tickled Aiko's tummy and the newborn giggles in delight. Naruto could be very, very loud sometimes!

Still, Hinata decides they could deal with that later. "I'm sure we'll manage." She gives her husband's a warning look. "And remember what Kurenai Sensei told you both!"

This drew a groan from both proud "fathers" and Hinata knew why. Despite their annoyance, she knew that her Sensei had done the right thing. Obviously, someone had to step in.

 _"Now, I know that this is going to be awkward." Kurenai sighed as she looked at the three of them. "But I feel as though I wouldn't be doing my job as Hinata's Sensei, if I didn't warn the three of you about something."_

 _Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Though Hinata noted, Itachi did as well. What could her Sensei possibly have to warn them about?_

 _Hinata shoot her a confused look herself. "Warn us about what?" She suddenly felt rather uneasy at that moment._

 _"I know that Itachi and Sasuke mean well and it's only natural to be protective of your children." Kurenai sighed as though she was uncertain how to continue. "But given the unique state of your relationship, I'm afraid that the twins will be teased about their parentage and you can't burn down the village, every time someone upsets them."_

 _Oh. That was a good point. Kurenai was right about that. Hinata hadn't even considered that yet!_

 _She bit her lower lip as she pondered the matter. "She's right. You two will have to control your tempers!" And that was that._

 _"I don't see why." Itachi shook his head. "The village should be burned down, if such a thing happens."_

 _She gaped at her husband. "ITACHI!" Honestly, Hinata couldn't believe that Itachi of all people had said that._

 _"He's joking." Sasuke smiled reassuringly at her. "Though it would be rather tempting."_

 _Honestly, what on Earth was she going to do with them?! It was one thing to be protective of their daughters. It was another to threaten the village, every time someone upset them!_

 _"You should threaten to take away their lingerie privileges, if they don't behave." Kurenai sighed. "It's really the only way to get men to listen sometimes."_

From that moment on, Hinata knew what to do to get the Uchiha Brothers to behave. Nothing gained faster compliance than them than threatening their marital privileges so to speak.

"We remember." Sasuke shivers as he remembers the threat. "Believe me, we remember."

Her recovery period was likely going to be torturous for all three of them, Hinata decides. They were all so used to being _together_ that even a few days without each other tended to drive them half mad.

Thankfully though, they had two sweet bundles of joy to distract them while she recovered from childbirth. "Good." She smiles at her daughter. "Your father and uncle are wonderful men, but sometimes Mommy has to get rough with them to make sure they don't do anything silly." Like destroy a village.

"And you're mother was a Byakugan Princess who is now our Uchiha Queen." He smiles and kisses their foreheads. "And now, you're our Uchiha Princesses. And if anyone dares to upset you, your father and I will take the appropriate measures to rectify such a situation." He gives Hinata a reassuring look. "Without burning down the village, of course." To which, Hinata could only laugh.

She loved their family more than anything. There were times though when her husbands needed a good spanking. Hmm. Actually, that might not be such a bad idea. Maybe, after she was better…the bluenette would discipline them more fully.

"Exactly." Sasuke smirks.

For now though, she was content to bask in their praise and cuddle up to their daughters. Their precious little Uchiha Princesses who were likely going to drive the village boys crazy in a decade or two. Luckily for the Leaf though, right now all the twins seemed interested in at the moment was sleep.

Which actually sounded like a grand idea to Hinata. "Mmm. Do you two think you can watch them while I sleep?" She yawns cutely.

"Of course." Sasuke promises her as he caresses her cheek. "We'd do anything for you. You know that."

Hinata smiles as she kisses them both. "Get some sleep, My Love." Itachi returns her kiss, after Sasuke does. "You've more than earned it. Don't worry about anything. I think that if we can win the war, we can handle watching our own children for a few hours while you rest."

Well that was a good point, Hinata thinks to herself as she nods and smiles at her husbands holding their twins. "Alright. Goodnight." And with that, she closes her eyes and soon was out like a light. (After all, childbirth was an exhausting business, especially when you were having twins)!


	36. Chapter 36

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Oh and if you have any requests for particular brands of lemonade or family scenes, feel free to get them in now. I may not be able to fit all of them in, but I do try. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **The SEAL'S Kiss:** I just posted a new collaboration with _**celestia193**_ called The SEAL'S Kiss. It's a modern Sasuke x Hinata story. Hinata is the president's daughter and Sasuke is her bodyguard. Check it out it out, if you're interested in that kind of thing.

 **Chapter Notation:** There a hint of citrus in this chapter and it's a rather unique flavor. It will be a flashback and in italics. So if you aren't feeling that adventurous, you may want to skip it. I got a request for this one, so I decided to grant it.

Chapter 36

"Sasuke, you're absolutely hopeless at this." Itachi shakes his head in amusement.

His brother clearly adored his children and he was an excellent Taijutsu User, but for some reason Sasuke just couldn't change a diaper. No matter how hard his foolish little brother tried, the younger man appeared completely incapable of this seemingly simple task.

Sasuke rolls his eyes at his brother. "I'll get it!" Uh huh.

Itachi wasn't so sure about that. His foolish little brother had already been at this for about ten minutes with no signs of success. Honestly, he was beginning to suspect that the twins might actually be playing some kind of sadistic game with their father at this point.

They never squirmed this much when he or Hinata changed their diapers and the two of them were giggling. They were giggling a lot. Suspiciously so. That was impossible though. They were only two months old. The twins couldn't possibly be capable of planning to that extent yet.

"Well I suppose that I do have to give you credit for trying." Hiashi shakes his head. "Though I'm going to put you out of your misery. If for no other reason than to ensure my grandchildren do not get a rash." Things were bad when Hiashi decided to help them. "Sasuke, activate your Sharingan and watch me." And with that being said, Hiashi proceeds to change the twins' diapers.

Sasuke blinks. Hmm. Why didn't Itachi think of that? It would have been far simpler.

Hinata laughs as she watches from her position on the couch. "Thank you, Father." Not that Itachi could blame her.

It was a rather comical sight. One of the most powerful ninjas in the world couldn't change a diaper. Well at least that had been the case as of a few minutes ago, anyway.

His foolish little brother could do anything else. He could play with the babies, help to feed them when Hinata bottled milk for them, burp them, dress them, bathe them, but for some reason…this task just was a bit beyond his grasp. Frankly, it was hysterical.

"You're welcome." Hiashi nods.

Sasuke sulks as he scoops up the twins into his arms. "Don't worry, I'll get your uncle back later for being evil." While some of the finer mechanics of fatherhood might still be giving him trouble, well there were truly few things more adorable than Sasuke with the twins.

Well other than Hinata, Itachi decides. As he expected though, she had taken rather well to motherhood. Of course, she was still recovering from the delivery, but the woman was very attentive.

"They're getting so big." Hinata smiles as she watches Sasuke play with them. "They'll be walking and talking in no time."

That was true. Which was why Itachi had taken up a new hobby. Photography. The more pictures they had, the better in his opinion. Though his interest for the hobby was primarily for family photos, the eldest Uchiha supposed there was no harm in being handy with a camera.

Hiashi sighs at that and glances at Hinata. "Are the three of you prepared for that?" And unfortunately, Itachi knew precisely what the grandfather was asking.

Were they prepared for the twins to get bigger? For them to be asked about their parentage? Itachi suspected they would never fully be prepared for such a thing, but Kurenai had helped them take the first important steps for dealing with such things.

She had pointed out that it was going to happen. The only question was how were they going to deal with it. The thought of anyone upsetting his sweet nieces was well simply infuriating and he knew that Sasuke felt the same.

"As ready as we'll ever be." Hinata smiles at the twins. "Besides, I'm sure that they'll win everyone over. Who can resist their bubble eyes?" She giggles mischievously. "They got them from Sasuke."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "For the final time, I do not have bubble eyes!" And that was that.

"You don't anymore, but you used to." Itachi pokes his forehead teasingly. He knew that Sasuke hated it and that's why he did it. "You outgrew them. They were rather adorable."

Sasuke grumbles and shakes his head as he rocks his daughters. Well at least someone would take him seriously again! Thank goodness for Ami and Aiko. His little Uchiha Princesses!

"Whatever." There was no point in arguing over the matter.

* * *

Meanwhile Aoda was lounging in the Forest of Death with Gamabunta. The Leaf had grown used to seeing the giant summons of Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto around. No one batted an eyelash anymore and well, they were rather happy to see the massive slug, snake, and toad handle some of the less pleasant critters that ran around in the forest.

"So the twins are doing well then?" The toad looks at the other Summon.

Aoda knew that Gamabunta liked to pretend to sterner than he was. Deep down though, he was a big softie. Well at least that was the case when it came to children.

So he nods his head in answer to the question. "Both very healthy Hatchlings." Which was a good thing for obvious reasons.

First of all, Aoda liked Hatchlings. He didn't like to see them suffer needlessly. Secondly, Master Sasuke would have been very upset, if they weren't healthy. And well, thirdly, an upset Master Sasuke wasn't good for the Five Great Nations to say the least!

"Good. Good." Gamabunta shakes his head. "I can't believe you're brat spawned before my brat."

Upon hearing that Aoda could only nod in agreement. Naruto had always seemed like the more affectionate human, but well Sasuke had found his Mate early. He was a bit surprised that Master Sasuke and Master Itachi were sharing their Mate, but they all seemed happy and in the long run it might be better of the Hatchlings.

Now, they would have two "fathers" to protect them instead of one. So that was good. It might actually be a rather clever survival strategy, he muses.

"True enough." Aoda looks around in confusion. "Have you seen our favorite slug?"

He hadn't seen her all day. It was rather strange to put it mildly. Normally, she stuck close to them to keep him and Gamabunta from bickering.

The giant toad snorts in amusement. "I think she's trying to teach Garuda a lesson." He shakes his massive head as if he was about to reveal something that he felt was incredibly foolish. "It seems he thought the slug was breakfast."

Oh boy. That couldn't have gone over well. The female Summon was normally rather sweet, but Lady Tsunade and Sakura wouldn't have taken her for their Summon…if she was completely docile.

Every once in awhile, the slug would display her temper. To put it mildly, those occasions could be rather frightening.

"I pity him." Aoda shakes his enormous head. "Garuda has just bitten off far more than he can chew."

Gamabunta nods his head in agreement. "Indeed. That does seem to be the case." And then he proceeds to puff on his pipe as if nothing had happened.

* * *

A few hours later, Hinata was cuddled up between Sasuke and Itachi. The twins were in her lap and they had company. Sakura and Naruto had decided to visit them and well to say the least Shadow was excited about that.

"Arf! Arf!" The puppy was running around happily, his tail wagging quickly as he begged for treats.

Hinata knew that Shadow knew visitors usually meant he would receive lots of attention and if he was lucky, treats. He was quite the clever canine. Which was probably why Kiba had given him to them in the first place. Well that and he was just so cute.

Naruto laughs as he tickles Aiko's tummy. "I still can't get over the fact that you're a father and Itachi is an uncle." He smiles down at the baby. "Or how cute they are."

"Pft. Someday, I'll have to explain kunais and pouches to you, Loser." Sasuke smiles smugly though. "And of course, they are. They're Hinata's daughters." Hinata laughs softly at that.

Sasuke was obviously feeling rather smug these days and well it was too endearing to be annoyed about it. Though Itachi was very much a proud uncle. She knew that eventually, she'd have at least one more child. It was only fair.

Itachi deserved a chance to be a father as well. That and Hinata was realistic enough to realize that two children wasn't much of a Clan Restoration. It was a good start though.

Naruto fails and glares at him. "I know what kunais and pouches are!" Some things never changed.

"How are you feeling?" Sakura smiles at Hinata. "Still sore?"

Well that was a natural question for a medic to ask. Though Hinata made sure to lower her voice as the boys bickered. It was a bit awkward to answer.

She smiles at her friend. "Better. Still sore, of course." Hinata shakes her head and laughs. "These days it's mostly my breasts, if the twins don't nurse enough." Though her husbands had been more than willing to help her with the last part.

 **Warning Exotic Citrus**

 _The twins were sleeping and her breasts ached. That was only to be expected, really. She was a nursing mother._

 _"Hinata, what's wrong?" Itachi looked at her, his eyes filled with concern._

 _She turned around and saw the same concern in Sasuke's eyes. Oh boy. She wasn't going to get out of this one easily. At least not without confessing what was going on._

 _The bluenette felt her face turn ruby red. "It's my breasts." Hopefully, she wouldn't have to say anymore._

 _"That's only natural." Sasuke smiled at her as he tugged off her shirt and bra. "You are nursing, after all. Maybe we can help though." It didn't surprise her that Sasuke was the one who offered first._

 _He had always been a breast ninja. She nodded shyly as caressed one of her breasts. "Does that feel better?" Again, she nodded._

 _"It always feels better when either of you touch me." Her face would likely forever be stained bright red around her lovers._

 _It was more than a little embarrassing to admit to such a thing. That her breasts ached because of how full they were. Though Itachi and Sasuke seemed more than willing to help._

 _"Perhaps, you simply need some of the pressure to be relieved." Itachi smirked as he took a nipple into his mouth and lightly sucked._

 _Hinata gasped and moaned at the sensation. It was amazing how it could feel so different. When the twins did that, it could be a bit awkward, but mostly it was sweet. It was a way to bond and care for them. When Itachi or Sasuke did it, well it was erotic._

 _Sasuke smirked. "Sounds like a good idea." And took the other nipple into his mouth._

 _Their hands were everywhere. Over her breasts. Her stomach. Her backside and her thighs. There wasn't a single place that they didn't touch as they sucked._

 _It all felt so good, but unfortunately…they couldn't go beyond foreplay. It was too soon. Still they spent the rest of the night in each other's arms._

 _"Nhh!" She moaned at the feeling of their lips against her skin._

 _The sight of them both suckling was an erotic one. One that she couldn't resist. Their lips were wrapped around her breasts was sending waves of white hot lust and desire racing towards her core. She needed more of this._

 _They hadn't been able to join together, but there were other ways to give each other pleasure. Gentle caresses, heated kisses, stroking with their hands, or using their mouths. Gods and Goddesses, did she ever love their mouths!_

 **End of Exotic Citrus**

"Ah well that's normal." Sakura nods in understanding.

* * *

Elsewhere Taka had been heading to the Uchiha District when Suigetsu notices something unusual. There was a Hyuga woman lurking about, but he knew that she wasn't Hinata or Hanabi.

Hanabi sometimes visited the Uchiha Family. So did Hiashi for that matter. The rest of the Uchiha Clan avoided it like a plague.

"Something really fishy is going on." He glances at Karin. "Can you get a lock on that one's chakra?"

The red head nods. "I can." She activates her Sensory abilities and watches the other woman like hawk.

Suigetsu noticed that even Jugo was frowning. Yeah. Something was really up. The gentle giant did not look happy.

"I can't imagine that she's up to anything good." The orange haired man shakes his head. "We should monitor her for awhile and let Sasuke know what is going on."

Suigetsu nods in agreement. While he and Sasuke couldn't be more different, he still wasn't going to let some crazy chick go after the other guy's kids. They were teammates, after all.

"She's trying to mask her chakra." Karin pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "One thing is for certain. She doesn't want to be caught."

People who didn't want to get caught were definitely up to something. This didn't bode well for the young family. The only question Suigetsu's mind was why.

Why was this woman willing to take such a huge risk? Coming into the Uchiha District alone was borderline suicidal, especially when the relationship between the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans were so tense.

"Then we're going to catch her." Suigetsu nods as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

* * *

A short while later, they had finally managed to usher Sakura and Naruto off. Now, they could get back to doing important things. Like giving the twins their bath and settling them down for bed, Sasuke thinks to himself.

"How is the water temperature?" He looks at Itachi.

The last thing that Sasuke was to scold their precious princesses with hot water or for it to be too cold for their delicate skin. He supposed all baby skin was delicate, but they were just both so _tiny_. So fragile and innocent that every minor inconvenience seemed like it was going to be a catastrophe of epic proportions.

Itachi chuckles at Sasuke being overprotective. "It's the perfect temperature for our princesses." Sasuke nods at that and gently sets the twins down in to the bath.

"Wahhh!" Aiko wasn't particularly happy about that.

Then again, Sasuke had noticed his eldest daughter didn't seem too keen on water in general. She was definitely an Uchiha. He imagined that she'd start puffing out fireballs very shortly at this rate.

"Do either of you have her yellow duckie?" Hinata shakes her head in disbelief. "It's the only thing that calms her down." The young mother giggles.

Sasuke nods as Itachi places two yellow duckies inside the bathtub. In contrast to Aiko, Ami seemed to love the water. She took to it like a mermaid or something. No yellow duckie was required for her. Other than the principle of the thing, he supposed.

When you had twins, you were required to get two of _everything_. It was probably a good thin that Itachi had gone so crazy with the baby shopping in hindsight!

Aiko immediately settled down now that she had her duck. "That's a good girl" Sasuke smiles.

He wished everyone was so easily pleased. Honestly, their twins lived the perfect life. Sasuke hadn't been joking when he told Hiashi that.

"She's going to be a natural at the Fireball Jutsu." Itachi chuckles as he plays with Aiko's hair and then he glances at Ami adoringly. "And I'll be she'll be quite skilled Genjutsu."

Hinata laughs softly at her husband's antics. Honestly, she thought it was a little soon to be pondering their abilities so much. They were only two months old!

"And what makes you think that?" She could humor them though.

There was very little that she wouldn't do for Itachi and Sasuke. They were both so proud of the twins. So Hinata could humor their little delusions.

Itachi smirks at her question as if the answer was obvious. "She's fond of water. Water and Genjutsu go together rather well." They did?

Hinata didn't see the connection, but she decides not to question it. It wouldn't be a bad thing to have a little Genjutsu Mistress in the making. Kurenai and Itachi would just have to handle that aspect of Ami's training though.

"Ah I see." The Uchiha Matriarch shakes her head in amusement. "That makes perfect sense."

Sasuke nods and chuckles. "Yes, it does." He gives Hinata pleading look.

He didn't have to say it. She knew exactly what he wanted. Her husband wanted to humor her other husband. Which is exactly what she intended to do anyway.

"Well I would say they're clean." Itachi smiles at the children he scoops up Ami and Sasuke takes Aiko. "Let's get them to bed."

Hinata couldn't disagree with that. "That sounds like a fine idea." She smiles at them mischievously. "And then we can have some playtime of our own. I'll be waiting." With that being said, she saunters off slowly making sure to sway her hips invitingly.

Sasuke blinks as he watches her go. Gods and Goddesses, he loved that woman. Though she could really be an evil tease at times! How the Hell was he supposed to resist that?! How the Hell could any man resist that?!

* * *

"I imagine that Aiko and Ami will have a little brother or sister relatively soon." Itachi laughs as he and Sasuke proceed to take the children to the nursery. "She really is asking for it."

That was true. He probably should look up how long it took women to recover form childbirth. It had been eight weeks. Sasuke figured it was still early, but soon enough…they'd be able to reactivate Uchiha Pouncing Mode!

Uchiha Pouncing Mode was something that couldn't be denied for long. "That's accurate." It was unstoppable force!

"I really am grateful to you, Sasuke." Itachi smiles at him as he places one of the princesses in her crib. "I don't deserve any of this and we all know that. You could have easily just kept her for yourself. No one would have blamed you." I wouldn't have blamed you. Those words hung heavily in the air.

Sasuke shakes his head. The thought was sometimes a rather appealing one. He couldn't lie, but the younger Uchiha Brother had grown quite used to their arrangement.

"While that's tempting, it wouldn't have been right." He couldn't make Hinata choose. "She loves you too and I do as well. Just in a COMPLETELY different way."

Itachi chuckles at that as Sasuke lays the other princess down for her nap. His foolish little brother was always incredibly amusing.

The fact that he sulked like a wet cat was well strangely endearing. "I'm glad that you specified." He rolls his eyes. "Though believe me, I know and I love you too. You're my favorite brother."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that. "Itachi, I'm your only brother!" Well yes. That was true, but it was the thought that counted.

"Sasuke, stop being difficult." Itachi pokes his forehead. "It's the principle of the thing and you know full well what I meant." His brother may be foolish, but the other man was also incredibly bright.

Sasuke shakes his head and gestures for Itachi to follow him. Which he did. Gladly. After all, he knew where they were going. They were going to Hinata.

* * *

He hadn't expected to fall in love with her. It had just happened. Itachi knew that he was incredibly fortunate that Sasuke was willing to share in this way. Most men wouldn't have.

"There you are." Hinata smiles at them in the nightgown that Kurenai had given her so many months ago. "I was wondering where you two had gone."

Then again, most men weren't brothers like them. Their bond was one that was rather unique even amongst family. He would have done the same for Sasuke. Though he doubted most other men would have been able to do the same, even for their brothers.

Oh did he mention how much he loved that outfit on their beautiful wife? He had to give Kurenai this much, the Genjutsu Mistress had exquisite taste when it came to lingerie!

Sasuke smiles as he joins her in bed. "We were just making sure that our Princesses had actually drifted off to sleep before coming to join you." Yes, playtime with their mommy really shouldn't be interpreted unless it was _absolutely_ necessary, Itachi thought to himself.

"He's right about that." He smiles as he lays down on the bed next to Hinata.

As always, she was sleeping in the middle. It seemed the smartest way to go. After all, he didn't really want to cuddle up to Sasuke anymore than his brother wanted to cuddle up to him. That and Hinata seemed to revel in her positioning.

She loved being between the two of them. The bluenettte had remarked on this on more than one occasion.

Hinata laughs softly as she kisses them both. "Mmm. I love you both." Which they happily return. "Now, it's time for us to get some sleep before the twins wake us up."

The princesses were disturbingly cute, but they could also be rather loud. They were also struggling to learn how to sleep straight through the night. Though Itachi knew this was normal behavior for infants, he suspected they might be night owls.

"Good idea." Sasuke yawns as he wraps his arms around her and Itachi does the same. "Goodnight, Hinata. Goodnight, Itachi." Itachi nods in acknowledgement as he turns out the light and they all settle in for the night.

This was his life now. He had a beautiful wife. An adorably foolish little brother and two beautiful nieces. Itachi was truly a lucky man.


	37. Chapter 37

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews and the suggestions/requests for different brands of lemonade. I think this might be my first story to crack the 400 review remark. So that's pretty exciting. To celebrate, here is a big pitcher of lemonade. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 37

 _Three months._ It had been three months since Hinata had given birth to their precious Uchiha Princesses. She adored them with all their heart, but that meant it had been even longer since she had able to properly indulge in some _playtime_ with her husbands.

"They've been really sweet about it though." Hinata smiles as she watches their sleeping forms.

They never actually complained about her recovery period. Well at least not verbally. Probably because they had been able to "cuddle" here and there and the twins kept them busy, but the twins were finally sleeping through the night. And as a medic, the bluenette was confident that she was fully recovered now.

So while it made her blush, she had snuck off with Anko while the proud father and uncle were at work and gone on a shopping excursion. Hinata had wanted to wear something suitably seductive to get their attention and she had found it.

If this outfit didn't get their attention, nothing would. "Not that I've ever really had to try that hard to initiate Uchiha Pouncing Mode, but still." They did deserve their reward. So that's exactly what she was going to give them.

 **Warning Lemon**

"Shadow Clone Jutsu." Hinata summons a clone as she straddles Itachi's waist and the clone slowly slides Sasuke's boxers off.

Her lovers usually slept in only their boxers, if they didn't fall asleep after lovemaking. A fact she always enjoyed. They looked so cute in their little tight boxers. Oh wait. She was getting off track here.

"This shouldn't be too hard." Well something was about to get hard, but it shouldn't be too hard to get there attention. "Alright. Here goes. Anko had better be right about this outfit." She blushes as she watches the clone take the take the tip of Sasuke's arousal into her mouth.

The reaction was immediate. "Nhh." Her lover squirms as he bucks into the other Hinata's mouth instinctively. "W-What?" Though it didn't take long for his eyes to fly open as she starts sucking.

"Sasuke?" Itachi's eyes slowly flutter open once he hears his brother speaking. "What's wrong?" He blinks. "Ohhh." Well Itachi had always been rather perceptive and it was likely that he had already figured out what was going on, Hinata deduces.

One moment he had been sleep and the next he woke up to the sounds of his brother stirring and a rather glorious sight. Hinata was now sucking Sasuke off and another Hinata was straddling his waist in a delightfully suggestive outfit.

"Just relax." She smiles at them. "I wanted to thank the two of you for being so patient." With that being said, she quickly slaps chakra cuffs on the both of them.

"F-Fuck!" Sasuke hisses in pleasure as he thrusts slightly in to the clone's mouth. "N-No problem. We knew that you n-needed time to heal!" The other man was stuttering, but Itachi couldn't blame him.

He was fully aware of what Hinata could do with that wonderfully wicked mouth of hers, but her outfit was currently drawing the lion's share of his attention. A bra made out of mostly see through fishnet and gray mesh material with leather trimmings emphasized those luscious breasts of her rather well, he notes. Not only that, but she was wearing a black leather belt and a tantalizingly short skirt made out of the same material as her bra.

That wasn't all though. Her midriff was completely bare exposing her soft stomach and her perfectly feminine curves. A daring move, he knew that Hinata probably felt sensitive about the baby weight and those legs went on for days. Her powerful thighs were completely exposed and the skirt hugged her charming backside like a possessive lover.

"Exactly." Itachi nods his head in understanding.

She smiles at Itachi as she begins to throw her head back, letting her hair fall over the place in a seductive fashion as she rocks her hips against his. "Well it was still sweet. Neither of you complained." Sweet was the last thought on his mind at the moment. "And I know that it must have been hard for the both of you."

Hard. Yes, something was definitely hard. Sasuke thinks to himself as he groans. Which one was the real Hinata, he wondered? Did it really matter? He was either getting sucked off by a clone or the real Hinata. Itachi was getting lap dance. Was this real or just a dream?

"That's because we love you and the twins." Gods and Goddesses, the things this woman could do with her mouth were incredible. "T-Though I really do like the outfit and c-can you take the cuffs off?"

He was already rock hard and Hinata had barely started. Though the other Hinata was now arching on top of Itachi perfectly mirroring the way she would look in the midst of passion when she would ride his cock. Her breasts bouncing underneath that sheer fabric and Sasuke could see up her skirt.

A fact which obviously didn't go unnoticed by Itachi. He seemed rather frustrated at not being able to touch her thanks to the cuffs. Not that Sasuke could blame him.

"Mmm I will later." The clone murmurs around his erection. "For now, just enjoy yourself." How could he not when he could feel her licking and sucking on his cock like that?!

Hinata blushes as she realizes she was giving one husband a lap dance at the same time she was giving the other oral sex. She could hear every pant and moan from Sasuke as she grinded up against the impressive tent in Itach's boxers. His erection was already fully formed.

"As always you look beautiful, but if you don't get me out of these cuffs, I will rip off that pretty little skirt of yours and spank that gorgeous ass until you learn your lesson and then I will fuck you in front of Sasuke." Itachi's eyes were already crimson red. "And then of course, like a gentleman I'll let him have his turn as well."

Sasuke rolls his eyes at Itachi. "Yes, such a gentleman." Though it was hard to maintain even mild annoyance when you had a beautiful wife bobbing her head up and down your arousal in such a wicked fashion.

Hinata smiles slyly as she yanks off Itachi's boxers and sways on top of him seductively while slowly caressing her own breasts. "Are you sure that you don't want to enjoy the show?" Her hands now trailing over her stomach and towards her thighs. "You're normally so much more patient than this? Maybe, you want to watch me make Sasuke cum first?"

That sexy top was going to get ripped off the first chance he got, Sasuke decides. So was that cute little skirt. Yeah. Both of them were very nice, but they had to go.

"Hinata, we've both been deprived for three months." Itachi was clearly doing his best not to gape or drool at her. "I think it's fair to say that our patience is rather limited. So you should play nice."

She smiles at him slyly as she slides out of her skirt, making both brothers swallow hard. "I am playing nice." Hinata kisses him heatedly while the clone continues sucking on Sasuke. "Very nice, wouldn't you agree? Well at least a large part of you does." She grinds her now bare womanhood against Itachi's arousal. "A very, very large part."

Itachi watches the Siren on top of him, grinding herself against him as she danced. She danced on top of him in such a wonderfully erotic way. It was like something out of a fantasy really.

Who would have ever thought that the sweet, shy medic his brother had fallen in love with all those years ago would transform into this? Well he supposed that Sasuke must have. He must have instinctively known somehow. Perhaps he was not so foolish, after all?

Part of her couldn't believe that she was being so outrageously bold as she watches Sasuke cum. "H-HINATA!" She knew that she was blushing scarlet red, but her lovers were definitely enjoying the show.

She moans into the kiss as she grinds against Itachi. Their tongues were dancing together passionately as she arched against him and she watches Sasuke's lavender and ruby eyes cloud over with pleasure.

There were few things more beautiful than watching them in times like this. "Mmm I guess I have teased you long enough though." The sensual, masculine beauty of her husbands was always a thrilling sight to behold. It never got old.

"Yes, you have and you've more than teased yourself enough as well." Itachi smirks. "You're already wet. I can feel your desire dripping all over my cock." That was true.

Hinata blushes at the accuracy of that statement as she dispels the clone and undoes their cuffs. There was really no way to deny that. The truth was plain as day. She wanted them just as badly as they wanted her.

They wasted no time in pouncing. Well more specifically Itachi grabbed her while Sasuke ripped off her bra. Though it was the older Uchiha who soon had her bent over the bed.

"Well you've done the impossible." Sasuke smirks. "You made Itachi lose his patience." Yes, that was certainly quite the grand feat, Hinata muses to herself.

She was soon moaning though as Itachi parts her legs and licks her. "I-Itachi!" Hinata could feel his warm, rough tongue _everywhere_!

Her lover just chuckles as he continues savoring her sweet taste. Unfortunately, making love with their mouths had really been the furthest that either of them had gotten with their beautiful wife recently. Of course, it was something that he enjoyed immensely, but it wasn't enough.

He'd rectify this situation immediately though. She tasted so sweet. Hinata was already so wet for them, but Itachi was going to be careful. Despite the fact that his own erection was throbbing, Itachi Uchiha wasn't an animal. The woman had just given to birth to twins only three months ago. He'd take his time.

"I've always loved it when you moan my name." He smirks as he continues lavishing her wet folds with his attention. "Especially, when you cum."

It wouldn't take long. She was likely just as sensitive as they were after being "apart" for such a long time.

He was soon proven right. "Oh Gods and Goddesses!" Hinata screams as she came hard and fast.

It was amazing. Just teasing Itachi and the feeling of his mouth against her was enough to bring her to climax so quickly. When did she become such a wanton creature, she wonders to herself? Probably around the same time she became their lover, Hinata decides.

"Do you think you can handle him now?" Sasuke watches her with lustful eyes. "Handle him taking you against the side of the bed like an animal and then me making you scream as I cum inside you?"

He knew that it was probably deviant to say the least, but Sasuke did love watching Hinata and Itachi. His brother was like a master musician and Hinata was his most precious instrument. Rarely did jealousy factor into the equation.

"Y-Yes." Hinata pants out a little breathless form her last release.

He might not be particularly artistically inclined, but Sasuke recognized beauty when he saw it. The younger Uchiha Brother knew art when he saw it and watching together was surely that. No wonder it was called the Carnal Arts.

Itachi smirks at that as he gently parts her legs again. "Good because I really don't think I could have waited much longer." And with that, he swiftly buries himself inside her.

Hinata moans and arches back against him. Oh Gods and Goddesses, that felt good. It felt so good to be full again. Her entire body felt like it was shaking from pure desire.

"You're always so hot, wet, and tight." Itachi smacks her ass as he begins sliding in and out of her. "Just for us." Making her moan, even more.

She could feel him deep inside her. Feel the warmth of his breath on the back of her neck as he kissed her there and on her shoulders. The muscles in his powerful chest against her back as they moved as one. She could feel his hands roaming over her ass and breasts.

Wet. She was so fucking wet. This was nothing short of an addiction. There was no other way to describe this ecstasy.

Sasuke watches with smoldering eyes as he tries lightly strokes himself. He'd already climaxed once, but once was never enough. Not when you were dealing with their wife.

The way Itachi was claiming her so slowly and possessively was well beautiful. Beautiful and possessive. Even more beautiful though were the sounds of her moans and the sight of that adorable blush on her face.

Itachi groans in pleasure as he thoroughly takes her against the side of the bed. "You feel so good." Like paradise, he decides.

There was no other way to describe how they fit together like this. How his wife milked him for all that he was worth. How wet she was. Her alluring scent that surrounded him and the gorgeous sight that she presented bent over the side of the bed like that.

Over and over he thrusted into her. "So do you!" Reveling in the feeling of the two of them becoming one as she did the same.

"Hinata, I'm going to cum!" He warns her.

Hinata moans as she wiggles back against him. "Me too!" And well that was the straw that broke the camel's back. He couldn't hold back anymore after that.

Itachi slams into her with one final powerful thrust that sent them both spiral over the edge. "H-HINATA!" He came fast and hard, screaming her name as she did the same for him.

"I-ITACHI!" Hinata moans wantonly as Itachi slowly slides out of her.

No sooner had he done that though than Sasuke scoops her up into his arms. He was now sitting on the bed and Hinata was in his lap. The bluenette was facing Itachi with her back against Sasuke's chest.

"My turn." Sasuke smirks as he kisses her neck and caresses her breasts.

Itachi chuckles at that. Though he watches the two of them with hungry eyes. "I believe my foolish little brother is right about that much." It was only fair.

As always, Hinata was a delight. "Mmm he might have his foolish moments, but he's definitely not little." She reminds Itachi as she tilts her head slightly to kiss Sasuke.

Sasuke loved to kiss with his whole mouth. His tongue exploring every corner of her own, making her moan. Though she squirms in arms at the caressing of her still very sensitive breast.

"Feel good?" He smirks as he leans down just enough to flick his tongue against a nipple. "We want me to suck on them more? You seemed to like it earlier."

Hinata blushes and nods shyly as Sasuke turns her around and proceeds to do that. Itachi. She could feel his eyes on him as she moaned from the affectionate suckling that her other husband was giving her.

Gods and Goddesses, that always felt good. What felt even better though was when he rubbed her clit with his thumb and his womanhood with the rest of his hand.

"Itachi was right. You're still wetter than an ocean." He smirks around her breast as he continues sucking and slides two fingers inside her.

Hinata arches and rocks against the fingers as Itachi watches. It was beautiful. The way she rode his fingers so needily as if she was actually riding his cock.

Hinata moans as she grinds herself against Sasuke. "Only for the two of you." That was damn true!

"Good." Sasuke smirks as he slides his fingers out of her and soon thrusts inside their wife. "That's the way it should be."

The younger Uchiha Brother groans the second he was inside her. Suddenly, he had no idea how he had lasted three months without this! This was perfection!

The way that Hinata was now bouncing up and down the length of his cock as his brother watched was positively sinful. "Beautiful." He kisses her hotly as his hands slid everywhere they could touch.

Everything was just so beautiful. He couldn't resist. Her pretty little throat. Her ample breasts. Those womanly curves. Her now soft stomach and her rounded ass. Those creamy thighs. Everything.

"Nhh!" Hinata moans as she throws her head back in pleasure. "Yes! Yes!" Her sexy pleas were only causing his desire to burn even hotter, if such a thing was possible.

The way she rode him so fearlessly was incredibly erotic. "I love you." Gods and Goddesses, did he love this woman! So fucking much!

"I love you too!" Hinata screams in pleasure as she rocks against him desperately.

The sounds of skin against skin could be heard. So could their heated cries of passion. Occasionally, Hinata was aware of Itachi's breath hitching, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't get enough of this.

Sasuke's thrusts were more insistent than Itachi's were. Probably because he had been waiting for longer. It didn't hurt though. They only made her gasp for more.

The sight of his normally perfectly spiked hair, now falling flat around his face as he took her with sensual grace was nothing short beautiful. "Keep riding me." So was the look in those mismatched eyes.

Each thrust made her feel like she could fly. "Don't stop!" It was always like this with them though.

Hot, wet, and tight. So perfect. He was getting closer and closer, but Sasuke was determined to make his wife find her own bliss as well. He wasn't that selfish as to leave her unsatisfied.

Faster and faster, the two of them moved as one. The room was practically spinning, but neither of them cared. As always, the three of them only had eyes for each other.

"S-Sasuke!" He wasn't sure how long they were locked in that dance of desire before Hinata came, but when she did…he joined her almost immediately.

 **End of Lemon**

The rest of the day was spent in bed. Getting reacquainted with one another. Thankfully, Itachi had the presence of mind to send some clones to watch the twins. By the end of the day, the three lovers were more than willing to rest in each other's arms and to forget the rest of the world. Well at least for a little while.

* * *

The rest of the world hadn't forgotten about them though. To say the least, Rei was not pleased. She knew what was going on.

Taka was watching her. They had likely already informed the Uchihas of her visits to the Uchiha District. Which meant, she had to be careful.

"Why haven't they attacked me yet though?" She mutters to herself.

The brothers had made no move to corner her. Did they truly not view her as a threat? Perhaps, they figured that Taka would take care of her?

Whatever the reason, Rei knew she had to hold her cards carefully to her vest. Hinata was now married to the Uchiha Brothers. She shouldn't be a threat to her position anymore, but the bluenette still was.

It was infuriating really. "I can't believe that he's forgiven her for all this." How could Hiashi Hyuga of all people be willing to overlook the fact that his daughter was now nothing short of a deviant.

She was involved in a marriage with two men. Two men who were brothers at that. Didn't anyone have a problem with this?!

"The entire village is growing used to seeing them together." Perhaps that was because of the twins though. "A sign of commitment." She mutters.

The twins were perhaps the ultimate sign of commitment. Perhaps, Rei could cause a row between Hinata and her father. That or goad the Uchiha Brothers into it.

She wasn't so heartless as to target the twins. They weren't Hyugas. Not really. They were Uchihas by name and in blood. While they were only Hyugas in blood. They were no threat to her.

No. It was their mother who was the real problem and Rei couldn't forget that. Well her and Hanabi. The second daughter of Hiashi was if anything, more irritating than the first.

Hinata hadn't deliberately tried to sabotage her plans for making it into the Main House. With Hinata, it wasn't anything personal. It was just survival of the fittest. That wasn't the case with Hanabi though.

"Water Bullets!" A bullet goes flying at her as she barely manages to dodge!

It seemed that Rei had spent too much time lost in her own world. She hadn't even noticed when Suigetsu or the rest of Taka snuck up on her. Damn it! What was wrong with her?! She needed to focus or else she would wind up dead!

Her eyes narrow as Rei assumes the defensive position of her Clan's trademark fighting style. "Once a criminal, always a criminal." The one that had been passed on from generation to generation. Something that a worm like this couldn't possibly understand! "Attacking someone when their back was turned, how cowardly!"

"That's rich coming from you." Violet eyes glare at her accusingly. "What are you doing sulking around here anyway?!"

Karin nods in agreement. "For once, he's right." The red head apparently was going to back up her teammate on this. Damn it.

It wasn't that Rei viewed Karin as a combat threat, but she was an excellent Sensory Ninja and she had healing abilities. If she managed to land severe hits on Suigetsu or Jugo, their teammate could patch them up almost instantly.

There was a reason why Sasuke had chosen them for his second team. Their abilities were strangely complimentary and each formidable in their own right. She almost had to admire the younger Uchiha Brother's choices, but that wasn't Rei's main concern at the moment.

No. She had figure out how to escape from these criminals with her life. "You really should answer his question." Jugo smiles at her. "It's rude to ignore someone who is speaking to you."

Maybe, it was rude. Though she wasn't going to stick around to find out what they wanted. She turns and tries to run.

Jugo was on her in a flash though. She was soon shoved against the side of the building. "I told Sasuke that I would be his shield and I meant it." Great. She was dealing with a crazy giant with some sort of demented case of hero worship! "Now, I suggest that you start talking. Suigetsu is a lot more sadistic than I am usually, but…you wouldn't like me when I get angry." Damn it! She was so screwed!


	38. Chapter 38

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We finally cracked that mythical 400 review mark. I think that it's safe to say that this story will be wrapping up fairly soon though. By fairly soon, I mean there are probably less than ten chapters left. I'm not entirely sure how much longer this one will be, but there will be more family moments before the ending. So for those of you who want you're fluff, you will get it. If you have any requests for this story or others, now is the time to get them in. Anyway, happy reading.

 **New Stories:** I've had one Guest Reviewer who really wants to see a Hinata x Madara story. As there has been a surprising amount of interest in this, I'll give it a go. For those of you who are wondering about when new works will be released, feel free to check out my profile.

Chapter 38

Rei was running for her life. She had somehow managed to wiggle away from Jugo, but it wouldn't be long now. All of Taka was chasing her and they had the advantage of knowing the Uchiha District better than her.

"Get back here!" She hears the white haired one screaming at her.

The only reason she was managing to stay slightly ahead of them at all was because of her Byakugan finding the fastest routes ahead of time. If she could just get to the Forest of Death, then she'd probably be safe.

Rei could hide there until they gave up and go back to the Hyuga Estate. "Damn it! She's fast." Well if she could mask her chakra from Karin anyway.

The woman was a Sensory Type, after all. Which ironically made the bespectacled woman her greatest threat once she got to the forest. Jugo and Suigetsu were obviously the greater threats overall, but there were certain situations when Sensors had an advantage and this was one of them.

"Don't worry, we'll get her!" The giant was running along with his comrades.

It was a bit amazing how fast he was, if she was being honest. He was so large and yet so fast. Though she could marvel at that later. After she escaped from them.

Truthfully, Rei knew that she was very lucky. She was very lucky that the Uchiha District was largely empty. If she had to dodge them in a crowd, the Hyuga woman doubted that she would have been able to do so.

They were hot on her heels, but she manages to sprint out of the District and continue on her way towards the Forest of Death. "Damn it!" Suigetsu growls as Taka pursues her.

"She's trying to escape into the forest!" Jugo was brighter than he looked, Rei notes. "Karin, we're going to need your Sensory abilities. I'll send out my birds!"

His birds?! The young woman continues running and running. There was no way that she'd be able to make it the Hyuga Estate before they caught her, but she might be able to make to the forest.

Though it looked like even the forest wouldn't be safe. Now, she would apparently have watch out for birds! This was ridiculous!

She had no idea how long she ran, but eventually Rei makes it to the forest. The Forest of Death. It was ironic that such an ominously named forest was really her only hope of salvation, but it was.

"I just have to wait them out." She whispers to herself. "Once I'm back at the Hyuga Estate, they can't touch me."

They wouldn't dare. The Hyugas were arguably the most powerful Clan in the Village in terms of numbers, wealth, and prestige. If they wanted to, they could make life very difficult for the Uchiha Clan.

Well that was assuming of course that they didn't revert back to their old ways. Their bloody, monstrous ways. If that happened, they were all doomed.

* * *

Back at the Uchiha Household, Itachi smiles as he watches Hinata nurse the twins. It was quite the handful. Nursing two infants, but she managed with dignity and grace.

Which was impressive, especially considering how active Aiko and Ami were. His nieces were just like Sasuke at that age. Always curious about everything. So happy and full of life and they never sat still.

"If we ever have boys, they're going to be horribly spoiled." Sasuke smirks.

Itachi chuckles at that. Well his foolish little brother never failed to amuse him. Apparently, his capacity for adult humor had increased dramatically since their relationship with Hinata began.

Hinata blushes slightly at that as she continues nursing them. "You're horrible. You know that, right?" She laughs softly as she smiles down at the twins.

They were simply too adorable. Itachi didn't think that the world could hold that much cuteness in it, but apparently it could. He smiles at that thought and tickles their toes.

They were just so little. So cute and the sound of their squeals and laughter was absolutely precious. He couldn't wait to sire his own. Though he did wonder how the cousins would end up differing from one another.

"I know, but you like it." Sasuke smirks as he kisses her cheek adoringly.

Hinata just blushes more and Itachi laughs. He couldn't believe after everything that the three of them had been through, how easy it was to make her blush. She was every bit as endearing as their children.

Who were currently cooing happily at the attention and food. "Well I never said that I didn't like it." And completely oblivious to how flustered their mother was.

"He does have a point though." Itachi smirks as he kisses Hinata's forehead. "You do have lovely breasts. My nephews or sons are going to be rather spoiled." He shakes his head as if this was a terribly taxing problem to deal with. "I doubt they'll ever be able to who can find a woman who can compete with your…feminine charms."

Sasuke rolls his eyes at that. "Nice save." Itachi nods. He thought so as well.

It would be a few years of course, but he couldn't wait to teach them the Fireball Jutsu. Well that or at least help Sasuke with the instruction. He wasn't exactly sure if Hinata would want to take part in such a display.

Actually, there was a good chance that the bluenette might have an issue with teaching small children how to make fireballs. That was alright though. They would just have to explain to her that it was all perfectly safe.

"Did you hear that?" Hinata blinks as she suddenly tenses up.

Itachi frowns. Yes, he did. It sounded like someone was running and being chased. Something strange was going on.

One, two, three, four. Four people. The eldest Uchiha could hear the sounds of four people running through the District. That could only mean one thing. Taka was chasing someone.

"Hinata, activate your Byakugan." There was an easy way to find out what was going on, after all.

Their beautiful wife nods as she smiles down at their children. "It's going to be alright." And activates her bloodline. "Byakugan!"

She looks around and blinks. "It's Jugo, Suigetsu, and Karin. They're chasing someone." Yes, it was exactly as he had suspected. Taka was on the move.

His eyes narrow at that thought. His brother's team was eccentric, but they wouldn't pursue someone without thought. He felt his eyes bleed red in fury as he realizes that the twins might be in danger.

"Who are they chasing?" Sasuke must have been feeling the same thing because now one of his eyes was ruby red and the other was lavender. "Can you tell? Do you recognize them?"

Hinata sighs warily as she nods. "Rei." They both look confused at that. "She's a member of my Clan."

That didn't make any sense. Why would Taka be chasing after a Hyuga woman? Save for Hanabi and Hiashi, the Hyugas had given their happy little family a wide berth since the twins' birth.

"I recognize the name." Sasuke shakes his head. "I've heard whispers at the Academy occasionally. She's a Branch Member who got promoted." So that was the motive.

She was likely worried that somehow Hinata would reclaim her slot. If their beloved did that, this Rei character would go back to being a Branch Member most likely.

"How powerful is she?" Itachi looks at Hinata with worried eyes.

Hinata pauses as she considers that. "I'd say Chunin or maybe, Jonin level." That wasn't a threat.

Taka could handle her with ease, but this was personal. Whether or not Rei was seriously attempting to take the life of Hinata or their children, clearly she didn't have good intentions for them. Something would have to be done.

"I'll stay with Hinata and the twins, Sasuke." He could already see that his baby brother was torn. "Capture her. She will be tried. Hurting her pride is a lot worse than killing her."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "And what are they going to try her for?" It was obvious that his brother would prefer to kill the woman and honestly, that was a tempting thought. Itachi knew better though.

"At a minimum, we can obviously get her for trespassing." Itachi reasons, but Sasuke looked less than convinced.

"That's not enough, but we obviously can't let her wander around either." The elder Uchiha nods in agreement at that.

Thankfully, the twins seemed to have settled down for a nice cuddle and nap. Itachi smiles at that thought. They were so innocent. Neither of them had any idea about people like Rei. Unfortunately, he knew that innocence wouldn't last.

Still, he would protect it for as long as he could. Sasuke's innocence had been cut brutally short. Itachi wouldn't let that happen to Ami and Aiko.

"Try to catch her without killing her." Hinata pleads with Sasuke.

Sasuke sighs and nods. "Alright. I'll be back soon." He kisses her cheek and the foreheads of the sleeping twins before Flickering off.

"It shouldn't take him long." Itachi shakes his head. "The woman isn't an incompetent ninjas, but she's no match for Taka." Let alone an angry Sasuke, he muses to himself.

* * *

A few minutes later, Sasuke winds up in the Forest of Death and he blinks. Whatever he had been expecting, this hadn't been it. Taka had found Rei, but so had Aoda and he was not happy.

"This one has been slinking around Master Sasuke's territory and threatening the Hatchlings?" Aoda looks at Taka as he wraps his enormously large tail around the Hyuga woman. "Is that correct?"

Oh boy. It was tempting, but Sasuke couldn't do it. "LET GO OF ME!" He couldn't allow Aoda to kill her.

After all, he had made a promise to Hinata. Rei would get her trial and then he would take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of his family. He certainly wasn't going to allow some power climber to take away his family.

No. This woman would suffer. Sasuke would make sure of that! He had lost his family once. He was never going to lose them again!

"Aoda, I appreciate it." He shakes his head. "I really do, but right now, I'd prefer it if you just knocked her out."

The snake looks torn and Sasuke couldn't blame him. Obviously, the Summon thought he was just doing what he was supposed to do. Which he was in a way, but he also didn't want to disobey a direct order.

This must have been confusing as fuck for him. "If you're sure, but I would still be more than happy to end this usurper for you." Aoda appears to almost be grumbling as he swats Rei with his tail and knocks the girl out.

"Yeah…he's definitely a golden retriever in a snake's body." Suigetsu blinks. "That was pretty weird. I gotta say it. That was definitely pretty weird."

Sasuke couldn't disagree with that. Then again, when you were a ninja in the Leaf Village, that was a given. No one's life was ever going to be normal in this village!

Karin nods as she watches the whole seen with anxious eyes. "For once, I have to agree with the idiot." Naturally, Suigetsu didn't take too well being called an idiot, but whatever.

That wasn't Sasuke's primary concern. His main concern was what he was going to do about this woman. "Thanks, Aoda." Sasuke smiles at him. "I'll get you some wine later for all this, but right now I've got to bring her to justice."

To say the least, the massive reptile looked more than a little skeptical about letting her go, but he nods. Aoda dutifully unwraps himself around Rei and Sasuke scoops her up in his arms. He felt dirty doing it though.

This woman had threatened his family in some way. She didn't deserve to be carried like a bride, but it was also the fastest way to get to the bottom of all this!

"So what are we going to do about this?" Karin blinks at Sasuke.

Sasuke shakes his head and sighs. "I need the three of you to tell Hinata and Itachi what happened." He'd have to make a trip to the Hyuga Estate. One way or another, he was going to settle this. "Tell them that I'm taking her to the Hyugas and to meet me there." And with that, he races off.

There was no point in leaving any of this to chance. Sasuke definitely wasn't in the mood to have the other woman wake up on him while he was in the middle of explaining to the Hyuag Patriarch what had happened.

Hinata, Itachi, and the twins would follow him soon. Sasuke knew that. Right now, the Uchiha had to deal with this situation as soon as possible. The sooner he did that, the sooner they could go back to their normal routine.

* * *

About ten minutes later, Hinata couldn't believe this. She was back in the Hyuga Estate and so were her husbands. Not only that, but the twins were with them. Aiko and Ami were both in their stroller as Hiashi had summoned everyone for a meeting.

"Is this really happening?" She whispers to her lovers as Hiashi slams his fist into the table to get everyone's attention. "Are we really here?"

It had only taken a few moment for Sasuke to apprehend Rei and Taka to find them. Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo had explained everything. And from there, well it was a relatively short trip back to the Hyuga District because the parents had been furious.

"EVERYONE! SILENCE! I have something important to say!" Her father's voice cuts through the Dining Hall like a knife. "I will tolerate no interruptions while I am doing so. Hinata and her family are here at my insistence!"

Well that was one problem solved, she thinks to herself. "Yes, we're really here." Itachi kisses her cheek as if he was reading her mind.

The three of them had been married for awhile. So the Uchiha Matriarch supposed that it was possible to an extent, he really was. No Jutsu was required. Itachi just knew her that well.

Hanabi watches their father with wide eyes. Not that Hinata could blame her. Even she had never seen their father behave in such a way.

"It seems as though at a minimum one of our own has been caught trespassing in another Clan's lands." There were loud gasps. "When asked why they were there, our Clanswomen tried to flee." It was almost unheard of for a Clan to trespass on another Clan's Lands.

Usually, the only way such a thing could be overlooked is if it was a small child involved. From an early age, they had all been drilled to respect such things. Still it was not an offense punishable by execution. So that calmed them to an extent.

"The aggrieved parties have brought Rei back to us for our judgment." He shakes his head. "Should the accusations be proven true, I will punish her in the manner that I see fit, but she will be tried by her peers and the Uchiha Family will have a chance to present their case."

Again more gasps were heard. Though Hinata couldn't blame them. She doubted very much that any of her family members had ever truly expected to see her set foot inside the Hyuga Estate again. Let alone with her family.

Today was just full of surprises. First, someone snuck into their District. Then Taka gave chase and now, there would be a trial.

Trials were exceedingly rare in the Hyuga Clan. Unless your name was cleared, this could damage your reputation beyond repair for the rest of your life. At a minimum, the bluenette suspected Rei would be stripped of her Main House Status and at worst, she might be banished from the Clan.

"The trial shall begin tomorrow at dawn." Hiashi frowns. Clearly the man was not pleased by this recent development. "When she wakes, she will be granted the ability to choose someone to defend her or decide if she wishes to do that herself." It was a sad day. "That is all. You're all dismissed, except for the Uchiha Family!"

That's what it was. A sad day. A member of their Clan had possibly betrayed them and Hiashi promised himself that he would get to the bottom of this!

He had always known that Rei was an ambitious woman. The ninja wanted to be a Main House Member, but so did all of the Branch Members. There was nothing particularly unusual about that, but now things were different.

Now, he had proof staring him right in the face that she was willing to resort to some rather underhanded methods to get what she wanted.

Luckily, no one was foolish enough to object to his command. "Yes, Lord Hiashi." A chorus of hundreds of voices is heard saying at once as they depart from the Dinning Hall.

* * *

His authority in the Hyuga Estate was supposed to be absolute. So how could this have happened? How could things have been so wrong?

He sighs as he scoops up Ami and Aiko. "I'm truly sorry." His adorable little granddaughters. "It seems that I have put you both in jeopardy and that was never my intention."

His granddaughters who for all practical purposes had two fathers. Hiashi Hyuga could never approve of Hinata's relationship with them, but how could he not love these two. Their sweet little smiles and giggle. They were so much like their mother.

Well at least he could only hope that would be the case. Gods and Goddesses help them all, if these little angels took after their fathers. That would be the end of them all.

"I know you didn't, Father." Hinata sighs as she watches Hiashi tickle their tummies with a sad smile. "You were just doing what you thought was right ofr the Clan."

That made his heart ache to her hear say. He had always loved his daughter and he loved these two giggling infants, but there was certain rules that had to be followed. At least Hinata understood that.

"Are you really going to keep doing this, Father?" Hanabi sighs. "To strain your relationship with my sister and nieces in order to make people like Rei happy?!"

He frowns more as he considers this. It seemed that he had been doing a lot of that lately. Mostly because Hinata had placed him in such a difficult position.

"We shall see what the Clan decides." He shakes his head, mentally coming to a decision. "You may all stay here for the night if you wish." Hiashi's eyes narrow at Rei's unconscious form. "No harm will come to you, if you do. You have my word on that."

"Thank you." Itachi smiles at him rather serenely. "We appreciate your generous offer and humbly accept it. Hinata, perhaps you can show us to some guestrooms?" He smiles as he walks over and takes the twins from Hiashi, setting them back in their stroller.

That smile made Hiashi's blood run cold. He knew what lurked behind it. A killer. Itachi Uchiha was a man who was more than willing to kill for his granddaughters. He could see it in that smile.

So was Sasuke. The way his eyes were darting around was positively predatory. He was surveying the area. Looking for any possible threat.

"Of course." Hinata smiles at her husband as she leads them off. "I still remember the layout."

* * *

"They love her, Father." Hanabi shakes her head, one they were out of earshot. "And I think you know that."

As much as he wanted to deny that, Hiashi couldn't. He didn't believe in lying to himself, anymore than he believed in lying to others.

In general, he preferred honesty. The only exceptions the man would make were for missions. This wasn't a mission though. This was a family affair and potentially, a matter of life and death.

"I know that." He sighs as he hoists Rei over his shoulders. "Though we have more pressing concerns on our mind." This one would have to be dealt with.

The girl had been extremely foolish. How Rei thought she wasn't going to get caught was utterly beyond him. Hinata did possess the Byakugan and while the Uchiha Brothers weren't Sensory Types, Hiashi was quite certain they knew exactly what went on and what didn't go on inside the confines of their District.

"Yes, Father." Hanabi nods as she walks down the halls with him. "What are we going to do, if she's found guilty of trespassing?"

That was a fair question. Hanabi was right to ask it. Besides, she would be the Head of the Hyuga Clan soon. To a certain extent, she had to ask such questions or else the Hyuga Patriarch would have doubted her ability to lead.

He sighs at it though. "She'll be stripped of her Main House Status and be placed back in the Branch House." Someone else could be promoted and the numbers would still be balanced.

Life was all about balance, when one thought about it. Which was why, there should never been that many more members of either house. There was a reason why they did things in this way. It was for the good of the Clan as a whole.

"Good." Hanabi's eyes narrow in judgment as they took Rei to their cellar. The place that would serve as her temporary prison until the trial. "She doesn't deserve to be a member of the Main House and we both know that!"

There was no denying that. "If she's guilty." He shakes his head. "We're having a trial for a reason. This could all be a misunderstanding."

Hiashi doubted that was the case, but still it wouldn't do not to have a fair trial. They were not animals. There were laws that had to be followed. Rules were there for a reason as Hanabi would no doubt see one day.

"She's guilty." Hanabi rolls her eyes at the thought that the other woman wasn't as they chakra cuff her. "There's no need to pretend otherwise."

Hiashi raises an eyebrow at his youngest daughter. "I am still your father and you will respect me." Honestly, perhaps he had been too lenient with her.

After Emiko's death, he simply hadn't had the heart to discipline either of them much. Oh he was stern and he had high expectations, but that was the extent of it. He imagined when Hanabi did marry, her husband would have his hands full.

"Yes, Father." She sighs and bows. "Forgive me."

"I will forgive you, if you forgive me." Hiashi sighs as he embraces her. "It seems that I have far more to apologize for than you do." And that was the truth.


	39. Chapter 39

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. There will be some lemonade and family fluff.

 **Chapter Notation:** I will try to get the next chapter up tomorrow, but I may be busy for a few days in real life. So I do apologize in advance, if that happens.

Chapter 39

Later that night, Sasuke heads back to the guestroom after checking on the twins one final time. The twins were currently staying with Hanabi. The proud aunt had insisted that she would watch over them while the parents got some sleep.

"Do you really think that she's up to that sort of task?" Itachi raises an eyebrow. "She is rather young to be watching twin."

Sasuke had his concerns as well, but he had seen the determination in the young girl's eyes and that had been that. Besides, they were currently inside the Hyuga Estate. There were hundreds of eyes here that could see through walls. If something truly bad happened, someone would notice.

He smiles reassuringly at his brother. "Don't worry. I'm sure she can handle it." Sasuke shrugs and adds. "That and there are a lot of Byakugans in this estate. Believe me, we'd know if there was something wrong."

"He's right about that." Hinata smiles as she comes out of the bathroom. "It's sweet how worried you are about them, but you both need to stop worrying so much." She giggles.

Well all thoughts of worry were definitely banished from Sasuke's mind when he saw their wife leaning against the doorway. Wearing _**THAT**_!

He instantly felt his eyes change colors and his Sharingan wasn't the only one that had activated. Itachi's had too. Yes, Uchiha Pouncing Mode had once again been activated.

 **Warning Lemon**

Hinata laughs softly at their reaction. Though she couldn't help, but blush slightly at her outfit. Of course, it was rather modest compared to the one she had used before, but still.

A dark blue satin bra managed to hold up her breasts and she wore a matching thong. Sewn into the bottom of the bra was a beautiful drape of see through blue lace with subtle leaf designs woven into it. The lace only came to her the top of her thighs and was extremely fragile looking.

"I'm not worried anymore." Itachi nods sagely. "I'm sure that Hanabi can handle it." And just like that, he was instantly at her side, causing Hinata to laugh on the inside.

The outfit probably wouldn't last the night unless she slipped herself. Though it had definitely worked. Her lovers seemed significantly less worried about well everything.

She smiles and kisses Itachi. "Mmm good." He was such a good kisser. "I'm glad." And she could feel a gorgeous pair of mismatched eyes watching them.

Their eyes were always so intense. It didn't matter whether their bloodlines were activated or not. She could practically feel Sasuke undressing her with his eyes as she kisses Itachi.

"As am I." He murmurs between kisses. "Such a lovely dress."

In Sasuke's mind calling it a dress was a bit of a stretch, but it was lovely. "Yes, it is." He strides over to them and kisses Hinata's neck while Itachi moves behind her.

Hinata mews cutely and Sasuke smiles. He treasured every little sound she would make and the younger Uchiha Brother knew that Itachi was the same way. "That feels good." The bluenette sighs in pleasure as she tilts her head to the side, exposing more of her neck to Sasuke and the young woman arches back against Itachi.

Itachi smirks and pushes the straps of her bra down as he watches Sasuke bestow more and more butterfly kisses along the pale column of her though. There was something sensual about watching Hinata get kissed in such a vulnerable place as he undressed her.

Most ninjas would never expose their necks to anyone. It would be too easy for a "lover" to transform into your assassin, but the three of them did it without hesitation. They trusted each other completely.

"Good. It's supposed to." Sasuke smirks as he watches Itachi slide the straps further off her shoulders and the bra was slowly being inched down those gorgeous breasts that he loved so much. "Looks like Itachi can't wait to get you naked so we can have our wicked way with you."

Hinata shivers at that. "Promises, promises." Not from fear though. Never from fear.

She smiles at that thought as she manages to yank down Itachi's pants behind her. This was the good kind of shiver, the bluenette muses to herself as she tugs Sasuke's shirt over his head, revealing the well-sculpted chest underneath. The kind of shiver that always proceeded complete and utter ecstasy.

"It seems we aren't the only ones who are eager." Itachi chuckles as he kicks off his boxers quickly. "Follow me, My Love." He shoves down the rest of her beautiful outfit quickly and yanks off her thong. "Sit on the pillow."

Sasuke was going to ask what his brother meant by that, when he sees Itachi sit on the edge of the bed and throw a pillow onto the floor. Clever. Now, the younger Uchiha knew exactly what his brother had in mind.

"Alright." The bluenette looks a bit confused as she sits on the floor by him.

"I think he wants you to put that beautiful mouth of yours to work and to watch me make you cum." Sasuke smirks at the thought.

Hinata blushes at that, but nods. Now, it was rather obvious what Itachi wanted as she sits on the pristine snowy white, fluffy pillow and idly glances around the room. Everything was so clean and utterly safe in this room. So vanilla.

White pillows, creamy white walls, and a baby blue carpet were the main features. The blankets were just as white as the pillows on the plain queen sized bed and there was a respectable grandfather clock and closet. The only "daring" thing in this room was the connected bathroom. Which was more for convenience than anything else.

Well everything in this room was vanilla, except for her lovers. "That sounds good to me." She whispers as she takes Itachi's impressive erection between her lips and sucks.

They were far from vanilla. Itachi and Sasuke were also turning her into some sort of deviant because she could feel herself getting wet not only from their lustful gazes and words, but from the thought of making love with them in her family's estate.

Part of her wanted to get caught. "Gods and Goddesses, you're beautiful." Sasuke growls in approval as Hinata wondered, if that was perhaps her lovers' intentions.

"J-Just like that!" Itachi groans in appreciation as he runs his fingers through her hair. "It feels so good when you suck me off." He glances at Sasuke. "Did you want her charming backside this time?"

Sasuke gives said backside a quick smack. "Sounds perfect to me and judging by how wet she already is just from sucking on your cock and being watched, I'd say she missed being with both of us at once." Making Hinata moan and blush at the same time.

Itachi loved that blush. Though it was hard to concentrate on it when her hot, wet mouth was wrapped around him and he was doing his best not to cum right then and there. It wouldn't do to spill his seed like some untried youth immediately.

"S-Sasuke!" Hinata squeaks at the smack.

He nudges her legs apart. "You have such wonderfully feminine curves. You can't expect me not to take advantage of that." And before Hinata could reply, Sasuke begins lavishing the place between her thighs with his tongue.

It had only just begun, but Sasuke was right. Hinata was already wet. She wouldn't last long against Sasuke's talented tongue at this rate or the sounds of Itachi's heated moans.

There was something glorious about watching either of her lovers in the throes of passion. "Mmm I think we're a bad influence on you." Hinata moans around Itachi's erection as she arches back against Sasuke's mouth.

"Most likely, but you do so enjoy thoroughly corrupting us." Itachi half chuckles and have groans as he steadily bucks into her mouth.

That's when Sasuke rubs her clit rather possessively as his elder brother continues tenderly running his fingers through her hair. His licks getting more and more insistent. He was everywhere and the sight of Itachi on the border of an orgasm was too intense.

She couldn't resist. Hinata surrendered to the ecstasy as she let go of Itachi and came fast and hard. The eldest Uchiha not far behind.

Itachi had always had a wonderfully quick recovery time because before Hinata even knew what was really happening, her lover was lay on his back and had pulled her on top of him. Thank goodness for ninja reflexes.

"Make sure to play with her breasts." Sasuke kisses the back of her neck as he caresses them, having joined them almost immediately. "They must be sore." And he was now nudging her onto her hands and knees.

Sasuke smirks at the sight. He was still a breast ninja, but he'd have to be blind not to appreciate the full beauty that was their wife's body. He could see why Itachi liked taking her this way so much and Sasuke wasn't immune to indulging in such a primal form of lovemaking from time to time either.

Itachi smirks at that as he flicks his tongue over a perky pink nipple. "How could I ever forget?" Taking it into his mouth and sucking on it.

There were few things more beautiful than watching Hinata writhe on top of you, he decides. The way her midnight blue hair splayed everywhere from her back to over her creamy breasts was magnificent. So was the way she would arch her slender back or wiggle those perfect hips.

"I-Itachi!" She moans and squirms as he notes Sasuke was now grinding his erection against her inner thigh. "S-Sasuke!" Teasing their wife.

"Do you want us to make love to you, Beautiful?" He murmurs between his suckling. "To fuck you until you scream?" Actually, it was quite good. He could see why the twins were so fond of doing this.

Hinata moans and blushes deeply at his words. The things that Sasuke and Itachi were able to talk her into were honestly astounding. Before becoming their lover, she had always been rather shy. The bluenette never in her wildest dreams would have imagined riding one lover while the other took her at the same time, but now it was something they did regularly.

Sasuke smacks her ass again. "Sorry, Hinata." He nips her neck playfully. "I'm afraid you're going to have to speak up, if you want Itachi and I to hear you."

It was turning a rosy shade of pink from the swift smacks. Beautiful. Every part of her was beautiful, Sasuke smiles to himself.

"Y-Yes, I want that." Itachi watches in amusement as Hinata's face burns an even brighter shade of red. "I w-want you both to fuck me until I scream."

Well how was Itachi supposed to resist an invitation like that? "That's all you needed to say, My Love." He murmurs lustfully into Hinata's ear as he thrusts up inside her.

She was so fucking hot, tight, and wet. Every single time. It was his own personal slice of paradise, Itachi notes to himself as he continues burying himself inside her.

"Nhh!" Hinata moans as she arches in pleasure. "I-Itachi!" And the way that she said his name always evoked such feelings of lust from him that he could scarcely remember anything, even his own name. Well if she hadn't been screaming it.

Sasuke watches the scene, barely able to hold back his own desire for the moment. It was beautiful. The way that she would bounce up and down the length of his dick. Their bodies already slick. Slick with sweat that seemed to shimmer on their skin like diamonds.

"Does it feel good, Hinata?" He whispers into her ear as he rubs her clit. "When he fucks you?"

He didn't want to enter her too quickly. They still had to treat their lover with care. Sasuke didn't want to risk hurting her, but it was impossible not to be with her as soon as the opportunity arouse.

Which made him remember something. He was wearing entirely too many clothes. So Sasuke practically rips off his pants and boxers as he grinds his now freed erection against the delightful curve of her backside.

Hinata moans as she leans back against him. "Yes!" The feeling of her skin against his was enough to make him come undone as were her desperate cries of passion. "So good!" And the fact that she was now riding Itachi's cock as if she owned it, probably had something to do with it.

"Good because it's about to feel a whole lot better." He smirks as he slowly slides inside her.

The bluenette moans and squirms wildly. She could feel them both. Deep inside. Deep inside her again.

The warmth of Sasuke's breath against her neck and his chest against her back as he sensually moved with her. Claiming her slowly and possessively as Itach thrusts inside her quickly and lustfully made her moan. Moan with a reckless abandonment.

She screams in bliss. "So good!" Her vocabulary always took a drastic turn for the worst when she was being taken by them, but that didn't matter too much. "More!" All that mattered was that she wanted more of this feeling. Of being connected to them in the most intimate way possible.

Itachi groans as he thrusts inside her faster and faster. "You look so beautiful when you're on top of me and riding my cock." His hands caress her breasts as he sucks lightly between words naughty words of adoration. "And Sasuke takes you."

Sauke smirks at that as his hands guide her hips a bit while he continues moving inside her. He'd never get enough of this. Of watching their Byakugan Princess scream for them as they made love to her an d well, there was something rather thrilling about taking her inside the Hyuga Estate.

The bed was now shaking underneath them, but Sasuke didn't mind. "You feel so fucking good. I'm going to cum." All he wanted was to tumble over the edge of ecstasy with her.

"Ah!" Hinata screams in carnal bliss. "So am I!" Making him claim her faster and faster.

Itachi seemed to be of a similar mind. Her breasts were bouncing harshly with every thrust now. Hinata was screaming like a woman possessed. Possessed by desire that was as the flames of their passion mounted ever higher.

"Together." Itachi pants. "Always together." How his brother could speak coherently at this point was utterly beyond Sasuke, but he had no problem doing exactly that.

The three of them came as one, Hinata realizes as waves and waves of pleasure washed over her. She was practically drowning, but Itachi and Sasuke as always were her anchors.

After awhile, they slowly pulled out of her. Each of them swiftly laying on their sides and maneuvering her until she was laying between them. Perfect. This was perfect.

 **End of Lemon**

"Mmm, Hinata?" Sasuke runs his fingers through her hair as they engage in a little afterglow cuddling.

She looks at her youngest lover curiously. "Yes, Sasuke?" Wondering what was on his mind.

"How thick are the walls?" He cocks his head to the side curiously. "Do you think that anyone heard us?"

Her eyes widen in panic at that! Uh oh! They had been rather loud! It would be nothing short of a miracle, if they hadn't been overheard.

Itachi shrugs as he kisses her forehead. "Don't worry about it too much." These types of things were bound to happen in a Clan this large. "We're married with twins. I believe that your family members are more than intelligent enough to realize that we're intimate." And if they weren't, they were truly a bunch of simpletons.

"I guess you're right." Hinata blushes as she snuggles against them.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiashi Hyuga sighs as he hears the cries of two infants and it didn't take a miracle to realize which children were crying. So he did what any grandfather would do, he got up and walked to their room.

He shakes his head as he smiles at Hanabi. "Let me see them." The twins were both fussing and it didn't take a genius to realize why.

Their room was right next to their parents guestroom. It was disturbing to contemplate, but the Hyuga Patriarch had a pretty good idea what happened. Clearly, the Honeymoon was not entirely over.

"Alright." She shakes her head and blushes. "I think the loud noises probably scared them is all."

Indeed. Hiashi knew that the loud noises probably would have "scared" him as well. Though for entirely different reasons. These poor children. He could only hope that Hinata and her husbands had the presence of mind to at least use the Soundproofing Jutsu at home.

He smiles and picks them up. "The Jiggle is essential to parenting, Hanabi." So the proud Hyuga Patriarch proceeds to demonstrate it.

One day, Hanabi would surely benefit from learning this technique. Though he did hope that day was far off. Having two beautiful granddaughters was more than enough for him at the moment.

"The Jiggle?" Hanabi blinks in confusion.

Hiashi nods in confirmation as he sways them in his arms. "Yes, it settles down almost any infant. Well assuming that they aren't just hungry or they don't need changed." It was perhaps, the most useful Jutsu that he had ever known really. It worked like a charm.

Hanabi just watches in confusion. She'd never really seen this side of her father before. Though he did seem to really enjoy "Jiggling" the twins. She took that as a good sign.

She was glad that her father was finally coming around. Now, they just needed to figure out what they were going to do with Rei. That damn viper.

"And of course, a yellow duck goes a long way in any bath." A yellow duck? "Some infants get fussy around water." Oh. That kind of yellow duck.

* * *

Hanabi continues watching the strange sight of her father playing with her nieces for a couple hours before the Uchiha Parents decided to check on their twins. To her surprise, they seemed considerably less stunned than she did.

"You know, I'm going to start getting jealous at this rate." Sasuke shakes his head. "They seem to settle down faster for you than they do for us."

The world had clearly been turned upside down. Hanabi couldn't remember the last time she had seen her father look so relaxed. The twins really were good for him.

Hiashi smirks at Sasuke as if he was feeling incredibly pleased with him. "Well that's because I have more experience." Well that was true, Hanabi concedes.

"We'll get there." Hinata smiles as she kisses her jealous husbands' cheeks. "We're lucky that Aiko and Ami are both so sweet to begin with."

Hinata couldn't imagine what it would be like, if the twins were particularly fussy. Her children and lovers both required a lot of attention. Though she knew that eventually, the twins would achieve a higher degree of independence than their fathers, she thought with a giggle.

The Hyuga Patriarch nods at that. "Yes, you're very fortunate. Hinata and Hanabi were far more colicky." The Uchiha Brothers both raise an eyebrow at that and Hinata blushes.

"Father!" The last thing she wanted was for her father to embarrass her with stories about her as a baby!

"I can't imagine her being colicky." Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. "Maybe, Hanabi. Never Hinata though."

Hiashi raises an eyebrow as if he couldn't believe that Sasuke was doubting him. Though Hinata could see that Itachi had been thinking the same exact thing.

"Do you believe I'm lying?" Uh oh. Her youngest husband was now on thin ice. "Why would I lie about such a thing?"

Thankfully, Itachi steps in. "I doubt Sasuke truly believes that you're not telling the truth." He smiles in what Hinata was sure the elder brother considered to be a pacifying manner. "Though it is rather difficult to picture Hinata was being a fussy infant. You must admit that."

Well, it seemed that Itachi was correct about that. His words, smile, or both did the trick. Her father was suitably soothed.

"Yes, I know it is difficult to believe." Hiashi smiles fondly at Hinata and Hanabi. "But it is true. I assure you of that much."

Itachi smirks at that. "Well on second thought, perhaps it's not so difficult to believe." He looks at Sasuke. "He could be quite the brat, if anyone held him that wasn't me. Poor Izumi was so traumatized."

Sasuke rolls his eyes at that. Obviously, he wasn't in the mood to be teased. Not that Hinata could blame him. It was always especially embarrassing to be teased by your own sibling.

"Almost everyone is a brat as a baby." That was probably true. "Most people grow out of it, except for Itachi." He smirks.

Ah. It seemed that her husbands were in the mood for a little bit of sibling rivalry. This was equal parts amusing and mildly terrifying. Mostly because she knew what could happen, if their arguments got out of hand.

Mercifully, Itachi just shrugs. "And that is precisely why I call him my foolish little brother." He pokes his forehead. "Though now he is a foolish little father."

Hiashi chuckles at that. "Well it seems they've settled down now. We should all try to go back to sleep." In the morning, the trial would begin.

Hinata was not looking forward to it. It was never a good thing when trials happened. By that point, you were almost certainly guilty of some major offense. The Hyuga Clan was not one prone to spectacles.

"You're right." Hinata smiles and kisses his cheek. "Goodnight, Father." It was a forced smile.

They both knew what was going to happen in the morning. Though Hinata appreciated the other Hyugas pretending otherwise.

"Goodnight, everyone." Hanabi smiles as the Uchihas and Hyuga Patriarch depart for their rooms. "Hinata just remember to use the Soundproofing Jutsu next time and I'm sure that the children will sleep through the night."

 _ **THUD!**_ Hinata falls over in shock, but luckily her husbands were more than willing to help her up. She couldn't believe that they had been caught! Her face burned bright red with embarrassment as they made their way back to their room.


	40. Chapter 40

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. This is the Trial/Revenge of the Uchihas Chapter. **There is one scene that squeamish readers may wish to skip in this one.** It contains a minor character death. Obviously, this is a fictional story and in no way am I endorsing Rei's actions in this story. **So DON'T copy Rei.** Skipping that scene will not alter the plot as you'll easily be able to tell what happened though. Anyway, happy reading.

 **Chapter Notation:** I debated about Rei's Scene, but I got some advice from another writer and decided that sort of thing is really common in Naruto. For example, you could argue Kakashi's father, Shisui, and even to a lesser degree Itachi and Rin did something similar. So I decided to take the risk. Again, skip that scene if you are squeamish or easily disturbed by those types of scenes.

 **Madara x Hinata Request:** This could be posted as early as a few days or take a couple weeks. I have a few stories that are close to being wrapped up. So I want to get those out of finished first. If inspiration strikes though, this might be up earlier.

Chapter 40

The morning of Rei's trial had finally dawned and to say the least, Hinata wished that it hadn't. The most charitable explanation for the other woman's behavior was that she was merely curious. Though the bluenette wasn't feeling particularly charitable at the moment. Hinata suspected Rei's motive had been far more sinister than that.

"Everyone as it stands now, Rei has been accused of trespassing on another Clan's Lands." Hiashi glances at his eldest daughter. "Are there any further charges that you wish to make against her or shall we commence the proceedings?"

Hinata sighs as she feels her husbands both squeeze her hands. "At the moment, we have no further charges to make." Though she wanted to, the bluenette couldn't rightfully accuse her of doing more than just being inside the District.

Taka had acted quickly. That was a fact she would forever be grateful for. The mother of two didn't want to think that her Clanswomen was actually capable of targeting two newborns, but the Uchiha Matriarch wasn't completely naïve. Odds are that she was slinking around the District for a reason and most likely, it wasn't anything as benign as curiosity.

"Awe they're so cute!" One of the Main House Members tickles the twins' tummies.

Hiashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Amira, we're conducting a trial here." Amira blushes deeply and bows in apology before scurrying back into the crowd.

Well if nothing else, Hinata knew the twins were adored by almost everyone who saw them. Aiko and Ami were being surprisingly quiet during the proceedings. It was almost like they understood what was going on.

"Good girls." Sasuke smiles down at the twins, seeming to almost read Hinata's mind.

He wasn't the only one though. Itachi might not possess the Byakugan, but his eyes were scanning the crowd's like a hawk.

"Very well. Rei has chosen to defend herself." Hiashi gazes at the young woman warily. "Would you care to begin doing so, Rei? You stand accused of trespassing. Perhaps you have a reason for doing so."

"And perhaps a snake has a reason for being in a bird's nest." Itachi's disgust was soon heard. "And hovering over the chicks." There were gasps from the crowd, even Sasuke looked rather shocked at his brother's outbrust.

He places his hand on his shoulder and whispers something in to other man's ear. Whatever it was, it appeared to calm her eldest husband. Mercifully, Hinata was able to let out a sigh of relief before they continued.

"I fear that the Uchihas will spell only doom for our Clan." Rei begins. Though Hanabi's glare was not lost on Hinata. "So I was monitoring the situation." It was vicious to say the least.

The crowd had gone silent. The enormity of the situation was weighing down on it. Hinata could tell. They all knew that if Rei was found guilty, the punishment was going to be severe.

Tired lavender eyes flicker back to Rei. "And do you have evidence to support this fear of yours?" Hinata had rarely seen her father look so exhausted before and unfortunately, she knew that indirectly she was the one who had caused that look on his face.

"She has dishonored our Clan by taking two husbands!" Rei seethes. "Uchihas at that! Their children may have Hyuga blood in them, but they're Uchihas and not only that, your affection for your daughter makes you vulnerable." The woman clearly didn't see Sasuke's and Itach's eyes change color, Hinata thinks to herself. "You never would have tolerated such behavior from anyone other than your daughter." Or she would have stopped talking by now.

Hinata's own blood was boiling though. It would be one thing for Rei to hate her or to gossip about her marriage, but it was another entirely for the other Hyuga woman to drag her children into it.

Hiashi's eyes narrow. It seemed that Hinata wasn't the only one in the Hyuiga Gardens who was furious at Rei's "defense." The Clan Head looked as though he was considering striking her, but Hinata knew he wouldn't do it. Her father had too much honor for such a thing.

"You admit to having no proof other than your distaste for Hinata's marriage and your personal disapproval for the sort of relationship that I have with her." Venom. Hinata could hear it in his voice. "If that is your only defense, it is an unacceptable one!"

"What more do I need?!" Rei seethes. "Her deviancy will be the death of us all! When those children grow up, what do you think they will do when they realize she was disowned?!" She was going too far! "The little demons will slaughter us all in our sleep most likely!"

 _ **CRACK!**_ Hinata moved before her mind even realized she had done it. One strike sent Rei flying back against the nearby water fountain. A sickening crack was heard as bones broke from the impact.

"You can say anything you like about me, but I won't allow you to say that about Aiko and Ami!" It was now Hinata's turn to seethe.

* * *

Meanwhile Naruto and Sakura were with Taka. They were all at the Ramen Shop and to say the least, the blonde was nervous. He knew exactly what was going on in the Hyuga Estate or at least he had a pretty good idea what was going on and none of it was good.

"So why didn't they ask us to testify again?" Suigetsu raises an eyebrow. "I mean we were the ones who caught the bitch. Wouldn't it make more sense to have us there?"

Karin shakes her head. "You're such an idiot sometimes." Though the sapphire eyed ninja had been wondering the same thing as Suigetsu.

It would have made more sense to have Taka there. The fact that they weren't made him nervous. He knew why Sasuke wouldn't want him there. Naruto would have never been able to sit still through something like that, but Karin and Jugo should have been okay. (Maybe, it was a good idea not to have Suigetsu there though)!

"It's a Clan Matter." Sakura shakes her head. "They won't want anyone else involved who isn't a Hyuga or Uchiha." That thought clearly troubled the pink haired woman as much as it did Naruto.

"Well how long do these kinds of trials go on?" They couldn't seriously be expected to wait around all day, could they? "Cause I wanna ask them what happened!"

Sakura sighs softly and the blonde suddenly braces himself." I think that such trials go on as long as they have to." Jugo shakes his head, cutting in to spare the medic from having to explain. "It could be over any time now or it might go on for days. There's really no way to tell."

Right. Well that wasn't particularly reassuring. If anything, that just made Naruto want to freak out more. Days?! This could go on for days?!

"So we can't do anything, but sit around and wait?" Naruto demands.

Sakura sighs and nods. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but if we charge in, it will only make things worse." She shakes her head. "Besides, if things get bad, we'll hear Chidoris being fired."

Naruto groans, but he couldn't disagree with that. Actually, he could. Sasuke might skip the Chidoris and go straight for a Kirin or something! It would be a miracle, if the Leaf Village was still in one piece by the time this was all said and done!

* * *

Itachi watches with wide eyes as Hinata strikes the Hyuga woman. She struck her hard enough to crush a couple bones and now, everyone was frozen. No one had anticipated such an outcome.

"AHHH!" Rei spits out some blood. "Do you see?! Do you see what they've done to her?!"

The eldest Uchiha glances at Sasuke uncertainly. He wasn't entirely sure, if they should help their wife deal with this viper or stop her. And to make matters worse, it didn't seem as though his foolish little brother did either.

Hiashi's eyes narrow. "Hinata, she is being tried. As vile as her words were, it is my duty as the Head of this Clan to punish her for any transgressions." Damn it!

The last thing they needed was to start a Clan War over that snake. Though Itachi privately apologizes to Aoda for the comparison. Rei didn't deserve to be called a snake.

"She's lucky that a few broken bones is all that she's gotten." Sasuke hisses as his two bloodlines whirl dangerously. "Speaking of newborn infants in such a way is beyond vile and I believe you know that."

Hinata's father clearly wasn't too happy about the reprimand, but thankfully it didn't look as though he was going to take the bait. "Be that as it may, I believe that our trial is coming to a conclusion. Rei has only confirmed her guilt." Hiashi sighs heavily and to Itachi, it seemed as though the man had aged a hundred years since the night before. The weight of this decision must be a crushing one.

It was never easy to punish those who shared your own blood. Itachi should know. He was the one who had done so all those years ago. It may have been the right thing to do in terms of the greater good, but that didn't mean that his heart still didn't ache at the thought of what he had done.

"Sasuke, stay your hand." Itachi pokes his forehead affectionately. "She is truly not worth it."

"He's right about that." Hinata looked shocked by her own behavior, though the woman was also resolute. "She's fortunate that is all that happened to her."

Hiashi appears to be bracing himself as he tried to prevent a panic. The man was more than intelligent enough to realize where this was all going. Complete and utter chaos, if someone didn't take control of the situation.

He slams his fist onto the podium that had been brought out for the occasion. "SILENCE!" The beauty of the gardens was at odds with the tense scene to say the least. "We shall cast our vote now."

Itachi swore that his heart was going to burst. It was beating faster than he had ever thought such a thing was possible.

"All those who believe that Rei is innocent, raise your hand." His Byakuan activates. "And I shall count the result." Not surprisingly, no hands were raised. Rei had admitted to trespassing. "Those who believe she is guilty, but her actions were justified, raise your hand." That was more…mixed. Itachi estimated about a third of the Hyuga Clan fell into that camp. "And finally, those who believe is guilty and should be punished, raise your hands." Though luckily, the final option was by fair the overwhelming majority. About two-thirds in all.

"Very well." Hiashi shakes his head. "For the crime of trespassing on another Clan's Property and nearly inciting a Clan War, I rescind your ascension to the Main House." He turns his gaze towards Hinata. "You may place the Seal on her as it is your family that she transgressed against."

Hinata shakes her head. "She's not worth it." The bluenette gazes at Rei hatefully. "If you come near our family again though, we won't be as forgiving."

That was putting it mildly. If he were in Hinata's position, he would have slapped that Seal back on Rei, but Itachi supposed that was irrelevant. Someone was going to do it after they left.

"I think it's safe to say that none of us are that fond of the Main and Branch House System." Itachi watches as Sasuke approaches Hiashi. "Though in her case, I'm more than willing to make an exception. Making her a Branch Member again is the ultimate punishment to someone like her."

Rei's eyes widen in horror! "NOOO!" The woman tries to get up, but Itachi was almost certain that she had a couple broken ribs. "I won't go back to being a Branch Member again!" She manages to get to her feet and looked like she was going to attack Sasuke.

Not that Itachi would allow that to happen. He hurls a kunai at the woman, pinning her by the shoulder to the fountain. No one attacked his foolish little brother. Well except for him!

Hiashi glares at Rei. "Everyone is dismissed. This trial is over." He frowns before continuing. "Rei's punishment will be administered later tonight. Which she will accept with dignity or she will be banished from our Clan." Good! "My decision is final!" Even better!

Say what you will about the Hyuga Clan, Itachi muses to himself. They certainly were not a stupid lot. The Clan rapidly disperses and with that, the Uchiha Family takes their leave.

It was almost over. There were a few loose ends to tie up, but that could wait. Well at least for a few hours.

* * *

Later that night, Sasuke kisses Hinata's cheek as she was fast asleep and slips off to the twins' nursery. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." He forms a few clones just to be on the safe side and plays with the twins for a few moments.

"It's still hard to believe that either of you are real sometimes." He smiles at them.

Impossible. It should have been impossible for someone like him to help create anything this small, fragile, and innocent. And so damn cute.

The Uchiha Princesses giggle and coo at their father. "Be good girls for Uncle Itachi and your mother." Their happy sounds were music to his ears, but he couldn't indulge in them for too long.

No. He had to protect them and the fastest way to do that was by getting rid of Rei. That woman was a black widow in the making. She wouldn't be satisfied with escaping with her life. Sooner or later, she would want revenge.

"I'll be back soon." He sets them back down in the cribs. "Don't worry." And with that he slips off.

* * *

He had to. Sasuke Uchiha was going to protect his family in the best way he knew how. By getting rid of Rei.

It didn't long to find her. Sasuke was easily able to slip into the Hyuga Estate because everyone was still reeling from the trial. That or maybe, they figured the Uchihas had decided to stay the night. Whatever the reason, Sasuke was glad that no one stopped him.

"Of course, that probably has something to do with the fact that I masked my chakra." His voice was scarcely more than a ghost of a whisper, but it was still a relief to hear himself talk in this situation. "This place still gives me the creeps."

The entire place was so elegant and yet so cold at the same time. Even after making love in the guestroom with Hinata, Sasuke couldn't shake the feeling that it was fundamentally wrong for him to be here. He supposed that deep down, he'd always be that boy who his father had taught him to throw a fireball as a small child. An Uchiha and Uchihas certainly weren't supposed to be on Hyuga Property!

He hears a quiet chuckle. "You aren't the only one." And an all too familiar voice.

"Itachi!" Sasuke hisses at his brother under his breath almost silently as whirls around to face him.

Itachi raises an eyebrow in that infuriating way that his brother did sometimes. The way that told Sasuke was being foolish.

"I know you better than to think you're just going to leave her be." He shakes his head as if he was disappointed that Sasuke didn't know that Itachi would follow him. "And frankly, I'm inclined to agree. The woman now has a personal grudge against our family."

Sasuke blinks. He almost couldn't believe his ears. Itachi was actually going to help him?! He was going to help him kill her?

"Does Hinata know you're here?" The raven haired ninja sighs.

He couldn't imagine that Hinata would ever approve of this. The bluenette wouldn't even put the Seal on Rei. There was no possibility that she would ever sanction what amounted to a murder.

Itachi gives Sasuke a look and the feeling of guilt suddenly bloomed in his chest again. "No. She'd never approve and we both know it." He had been trying to suppress it, but the Uchiha knew that it wouldn't go away entirely. Itachi's appearance had only made that more difficult.

"So what'd you have in mind?" Sasuke glances at his brother warily.

He wasn't sure exactly how he was going to kill Rei, but he needed to make it look like an accident or like she had done it. The woman had been punished. Her Clan would never approve of an execution.

Itachi smirks at him. "You shall see. Do you know which room they are keeping her in?" He tilts his head thoughtfully.

Sasuke nods as he gestures for Itachi to follow him. "I do." And with that being said, the Uchiha Brothers wandered off to find Rei.

Two minutes and thirty-nine seconds later, Rei gulps. She had seen them coming with her Byakugan, but the Hyuga woman knew the reality of her situation. There was no escaping these demons.

If she tried to run, they would catch her. They might even destroy the Hyuga Estate in the process. "Damn it!" She was doomed because Hinata had fallen in "love" with two demons.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to run." Sasuke walks into the room with Itachi following after him. "You must have seen us coming with the Byakugan."

She shakes her head, willing herself not to quake in terror. "There's no point in running." Her voice was so quiet that Rei barely heard it, but the Uchiha Brothers did.

"Correct. Tsukuyomi!" And that was all that it took to transport her and them to another world.

 **Warning Rei's Death Scene**

One that was largely black and red. With a few traces of white. She recognized it though. The Uchiha District and she was tied to a pole.

"Whatever you're planning, you don't need to do this!" Maybe, she could beg for her life.

Sasuke shakes his head as he drags a kunai across her throat. A thin red line appearing where he did so. At that moment, Rei knew more than ever that there was no way she was going to live long enough to see the next sunrise. Not unless they prolonged her torture.

Itachi wasn't feeling anymore merciful it seemed. "No. This needs to be done." He smiles at her as Sasuke twirls the kunai. "You see in this world, I control everything. Even your perception of time and pain. While your physical body will be fine, almost anything could happen to you here and it will feel real for the next three days." Sasuke nods as he slams the kunai into her left hand.

Rei screams in agony. "AHHH!" She could feel the metal of the weapon piercing through her bones and keeping her even more firmly pinned against the pole. "STOP IT!" She could see her blood now dripping down her hand.

"You'll never learn your lesson, if we don't cover all the material thoroughly." Itachi tsks at her as he slams a sword into her stomach. "Now, pay attention." Causing her to scream again and blood to pour from the wound.

Had she been in the real world, bleeding to death would have been a very real concern. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the real world. She was trapped in a demon's world and helpless. Utterly helpless.

"And you shouldn't interrupt someone when they're speaking." Sasuke shakes his head. "That's very rude." He yanks out the kunai in her hand and slashes her side. "You have choice. You can choose to die with dignity in the real world and we can end this torture now or Itachi can destroy your mind and you'll die a pathetic sobbing heap in the real world."

Itachi nods at Sasuke as if he was giving a perfectly logical lesson. In the back of her mind, Rei was aware Sasuke was now an Academy Instructor, but that mattered little. What mattered was there was no escape.

"And if I agree, how do I know you'll keep your word?" That was a big if. They might just give her an agonizing death out of spite anyway. "Considering what you've done to my Clan, I'm not inclined to believe anything you say."

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "I was beginning to feel a little guilty about this, but you've completely erased that guilt." Right. That probably hadn't been the wisest thing to say, but still she had to know.

"You're not really in a position to be choosy." Itachi shakes his head. "The moment that you decided to spy on our family and insult our children, that was the moment when you decided to die. Whether you were consciously aware of this or not."

There was such hatred in those eyes. It made her shiver. It was better to end it quickly.

She takes a shaky breath and nods. "I'll do it." Rei vaguely hears Itachi release the Genjutsu and suddenly, they were back in the real world.

The real world where she would be spending her final moments. "You best write a note." Sasuke glares at her. "And don't even think about running. This way you get a quick and easy death of your choosing. Try to run and you won't."

She gulps as Itachi hands her a scroll and something to write with. This would be her final testament, but Rei knew that it wouldn't be one entirely of her own making. The Uchihas wouldn't allow her to warn her Clan about these demons.

 _ **Dear Family,**_

 _ **I'm sorry that I have dishonored you so. After losing my Main House Status, I can no longer carry on. I would rather die free than live as a slave again. I do hope that someday, you will find it in your hearts to forgive me.**_

 _ **Rei Hyuga**_

"That will do." Sasuke nods as Itachi hands Rei a kunai.

She gulps as she takes the kunai. "Thank you." Well at least she could make it quick. With that thought in mind, she brought her shaky hand to her chest and plunged the kunai into her heart.

 **End of Rei's Death Scene**

Blood spilled everywhere as she sank to the ground. Itachi checked for a pulse and they waited for a few minutes to ensure it was done before he nodded at Sasuke. "We'll have to go through the window. We can't Flicker out of here." That might leave behind a small trace of chakra that could be tracked.

Sasuke nods in agreement. "This will be our secret." He flits through the window with Itachi. "Hinata can't find out about this. I don't want her to feel guilty."

Hinata would never forgive them for killing Rei and Sasuke doubted that she would care much that they hadn't _technically_ been the ones who thrust that kunai into her heart. For all practical purposes, they had murdered her. They had murdered Rei to protect their family.

Itachi sighs as he joins Sasuke in the sprint out of the Hyuga Estate. "Understood. Besides, Sasuke." He looks at him with guilty eyes. "You should know by now, if there is one thing that I've very good at doing…it's keeping a secret." And Sasuke didn't regret it one bit. His only concern was whether or not Hinata would find out about it.


	41. Chapter 41

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. It seems that most people are interested in more family moments for this story. So if you have a request for a specific scene for that, lemonade, or anything else let me know and I'll see if I can work it in. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Pairing Request Responses:** Here are some of my responses to some Guest Reviewer Requests.

 **Sasuke x Kurotsuchi or Kushina** sorry, no.

 **Tsunade, Tenten, and Anko** are all in the unlikely maybe category.

 **Sasuke x Kurenai** is a yes pairing, but will take awhile to get to.

 **Madara x Hinata:** Yes. I'm going to try this one and I'm still thinking about how to make it work. This will most likely be posted sometime after Sasuke's Secret is finished.

 **Chapter Notation:** I made Sasuke hate pink for comedic purposes. If you like the color pink, no offense was intended. It was just to amusing not to go for it.

Chapter 41

"Itachi, get those pink monstrosities off of them." Sasuke glares at his brother the next morning.

No. Absolutely not. His daughters were not wearing those frilly pink things! They were Uchihas! Not living dolls! He had no idea what was wrong with his brother, but this was completely unacceptable!

Itachi chuckles at his ire and Sasuke twitches. "You're being foolish." He smiles at his younger brother. "They both look adorable in their little pink dresses and you know it."

Well of course, they looked adorable. Ami and Aiko always looked adorable, but that wasn't the point. Uchihas and pink were just not a good combination and Itachi should know that! Maybe, Itachi needed his eyes checked again! Yes, that **must** be it!

"They do look really cute." Hinata smiles as she kisses both of their cheeks and the girls coo.

It was a mutiny! That's what this was! Honestly, no one saw the problem with this?! Damn it!

He shakes his head as he cuddles little Ami to his chest. "It's alright. I'll preserve your dignity later. You won't remember this anyway." He smiles down at her and looks at her sister.

His precious little twins. They were so sweet. So small and vulnerable to attacks. Attacks like pink monstrosities!

Ami just giggles in response and enjoys her cuddles. "You're so amusingly foolish sometimes." Both of the twins did.

He would say that they took after their mother in that respect, but that wasn't entirely true. Sasuke would never admit it out loud, but he did enjoy such things as well and Itachi loved to tease him without mercy about it.

"And for such a genius, you're an idiot sometimes." He rolls his eyes. "Pink?"

Sasuke supposed that he should count his blessings that it wasn't orange at this rate. Yuck or worse, yellow. Yellow would look absolutely bizarre.

The bluenette shakes her head. "Be nice." She smiles at them. "We should get going anyway. I'm sure after yesterday, Father is going to want to see us."

Sasuke tries his best not to gulp at that. He could only hope that their beloved wife didn't find out about what they had done. Not that Sasuke regretted doing it, but he didn't wish to upset Hinata.

Their Byakugan Princess would feel extremely guilty, if she knew the truth. It was better not to sully her hands in such a fashion. They were such lovely hands.

"Alright. Lets get going." He forces himself to smile.

Itachi's acting skills had always been better than his. This time though, there was room for error. Hinata knew both of them better than they knew themselves, if they slipped up at all…she was going to notice.

Hinata nods as she smiles and places the twins in the stroller. "They're getting so big." Yes, they were.

It was amazing how quickly children could grow in a just a few short months, Sasuke muses. Soon enough, they would be ready to start learning the Fire Jutsu.

"Yes, they are." Itachi smiles and with that, the young family swiftly departs for the Hyuga Estate.

* * *

Hiashi sighs as he shakes his head, a few minutes later as the Uchihas arrive. He couldn't believe this, but that only strengthened his resolve. He was calling another emergency Clan Meeting. Only one day after Rei's Trial. To say the least, everyone was on edge.

"Father, what's going on?" Hinata looks at him with confusion.

How was he supposed to tell them what had happened? The Hyuga Patriarch had no idea where to begin. That was until he saw the sweet, smiling faces of his grandchildren.

"I have both wonderful and horrid news to report today." The lavender eyed man looks at Hinata and the rest of his family as he continues. "It seems that Rei has passed on. The woman chose to leave this world rather than to become a Branch Member again."

There were gasps all around the grounds. Not that Hiashi could blame any of them. Such a decision was shocking to say the least and most of the time it was viewed as the ultimate dishonor, unless you were dying for the sake of your precious people or your village. That wasn't necessarily the case here though.

"Oh Gods and Goddesses!" Hanabi covers her mouth in shock.

Hiashi knew that his youngest daughter despised Rei, but this was a horrible way for anyone to meet their demise. She wasn't cruel enough to wish this on anyone. Not even her.

"Though let her death not be in vain." He smiles as he gestures for Hinata and her family to join him. "I believe it has taught me a very valuable lesson. Family is family. We may not always approve of each other's choices, but when we are at odds with each other…it only weakens all of us."

Hinata blinks as he watches Hiashi hold up the twins. Her father had always loved them, that much was obvious. Though he had never publicly acknowledged them in such a way.

"You're absolutely correct." Itachi smiles.

Mercifully, Itachi seemed more than willing to go along with this extreme shift in behavior. Would Sasuke though? He had always been so protective of the twins and rightfully so and her father had denied them partially. She knew that always bothered him.

The blunette spars a nervous glance at her younger lover. Thankfully, it appeared he was more in shock than anything at the moment. So perhaps this would work.

"They're identical twins." Sasuke finally speaks. "The one the left is the eldest. She is Aiko Uchiha and the one on the right is Ami." And Hinata lets out the breath that she had been holding.

It was all going to be alright. Somehow. The mother of two just knew it now. Her father was at last recognizing the twins and neither of her husbands had attacked him.

"Yes, so they are." Hiashi smiles as he holds them up for everyone to see. "While I can't say that I'll ever approve of Hinata's…unconventional choices in regards to marriage, these two children are the future of both our Clans." To which Ami and Aiko giggle and squirm in his arms.

Everyone was charmed. How could they not be, Hinata thinks to herself. Those chubby cheeks and sweet smile with their adorable eyes and midnight blue hair were such a powerful combination that not even the most battle-hardened ninja could resist them.

Hanabi nods as she walks over. "Yes, they are. Aren't my nieces adorable?" She smiles smugly. Every inch the proud aunt.

Which was good because Hanabi was their only aunt, Hinata observes. The rest of the Clan was torn between shock and watching the twins. It seemed that this was truly the best revenge on Rei. Her death would be all, but forgotten in almost no time at all.

"Yes, they are." One of the Main House Members calls out. "And they look so adorable in their little pink dresses." Causing Sasuke to twitch slightly.

Itachi smirks as he looks at Sasuke. "See? Everyone agrees." He pokes Sasuke's forehead. "You're just being foolish."

Hinata laughs at that. It was good to see them bicker over normal things again. They could leave the ugly past behind. Hiashi clearly had.

"Tonight, we'll have a feast to celebrate our new ties to the Uchiha Clan and the birth of my grandchildren, even if it is a bit late." The Hyuga Patriarch continues as Aiko and Ami bask in the attention.

Her children really were such hams. Most children would be frightened or fussing, but the twins really seemed to know what was going on and were enjoying the spotlight.

They were only a few months old though. She was probably just reading too much into it.

* * *

About an hour later, Itachi rocks the twins in his arms. Hinata had gone off to speak with her father about improving Clan Relations and Sasuke had been drug off by one of the Hyuga Tailors.

It seemed that they were intent on dressing all of them up for tonight. "Your foolish father is probably sulking like a wet cat now." He chuckles down at Aiko and Ami.

He could just imagine the look on Sasuke's face. If his brother had fussed over the twins' dresses, well this was bound to be priceless. Though Itachi was also quite certain that Hinata would look lovely in whatever elaborate kimono she would likely be forced to dawn.

Speaking of priceless, so were the expressions on their faces. "Before the two of you, it had been awhile since I had last held a baby in my arms." The last time had been when Sasuke was an infant himself.

In his arms, Sasuke had been perfectly content and he giggled. Out of his arms though, well that had been more risky. He certainly hadn't cared for Izumi holding him too much. Much to the poor girl's mortification.

"It's been quite the long day." He smiles. "You should both have a nap before dinner."

Itachi sets them down in their crib and begins singing to them. Ami and Aiko both seemed to appreciate fine music. So it was only natural that they would enjoy hearing him sing.

That might sound vain, but it was true. He was quite proud of his vocal skills in this regard. Though until very recently, Itachi hadn't had any real reason to display his vocal talents.

The way they looked up at him with those cute bubble eyes and would reach for him was nothing short of heartwarming. "I'm glad that Sasuke got the opportunity to have this and that I did as well." Even if he was their uncle, the bond was still there.

Though he couldn't lie. The thought of how they would react to their cousins one day had crossed his mind more than once. Of course, he was quite certain it would be wiser to wait until they were walking, talking, and at least semi self-sufficient until seriously broaching that topic with Hinata.

"Two or three might be best." Yes, he'd probably wait until they were two or three years old.

That way Ami and Aiko would both be able to express themselves somewhat. They'd be fully trained in how to use the bathroom on their own as well. And they'd be able to walk. Not to mention Hinata would be fully recovered.

He smiles down at them as he watches them fall asleep and kisses their forehead. "I wonder, if it would be one or another matching set." Twins or a single birth? Hmm. It was an interesting question to ponder.

* * *

Meanwhile Jugo shakes his head as he sighs softly on the other side of the Leaf. Word of Rei's death was spreading and well, the gentle giant didn't believe for a moment it was of natural causes.

"So you think they did it?" Suigetsu stretches.

They were inside Suigetsu's apartment. Which was good because for a discussion like this, Taka definitely needed their privacy. There was just no way around that.

Karin raises an eyebrow at the sword lover as if that was the stupidest question she had ever heard. "Of course, they did it." And while it might not be kind to think so, the orange haired man was inclined to agree with his female teammate.

In a way though, it didn't matter. What mattered was how were they going to deal with this? Because Jugo was truly at a loss for what they were going to do about this situation.

"Right. Well what are we going to do?" Suigetsu tilts his head. "Should we confront Sasuke about it or just leave it be?"

That was the question. If they just left it alone, there was a chance that Hinata would find out, if she didn't already know. If they confronted Sasuke about it though, he wouldn't react well.

Karin sighs and shakes her head. "I'd say leave it for now." The red head looks around warily as if she was afraid their leader would magically materialize in front of them at any moment. "If he wanted us to know, he would have told us."

Well that was a very good point. That and Jugo really wasn't eager to confront Sasuke about this. He was supposed to be his shield and if they confronted the Uchiha about this, well he'd be a broken shield and no one wanted one of those!

"Alright. So we're keeping our mouths shut about this?" Suigetsu looks at them for confirmation.

Jugo nods in agreement. "Yes, at least for now, we're keeping our mouth shut about this." Hopefully, this would be one secret that would be kept.

* * *

A few hours later, later Hinata smiles as she watches Sasuke and Itachi bottlefeed their children. She did prefer nursing them for the most part, but sometimes that just wasn't practical. Like when you were in an estate filled with hundreds of Byakugans!

"They're such good girls." Itachi smiles as he feeds Aiko. "They slept right through the two of you speaking with Hiashi and getting your attire for the evening."

That was true, Hinata nods in agreement. They were fortunate that the twins were now sleeping through the night and their naps. It seemed that nothing disturbed them. Probably because they were secure in the knowledge that their parents wouldn't let any harm come to them.

"Yes, they are." Sasuke smiles proudly. "Though we should probably get going." He sets the now empty bottle down as he rubs Ami's tummy.

Hinata gets the clothes and places them on Sasuke's and Itachi's back. "Make sure to burp them first." She didn't want to think of what would happen, if the twins' had an incident at dinner and spat up their dinner everywhere.

Itachi and Sasuke nod reassuringly as they both proceed to do so. Hinata smiles. It was truly amazing to see them with the girls. Though she couldn't help, but wonder if either of them were hoping for a son as well.

It was obvious they adored their princesses, but two children probably wasn't much of a Clan Restoration. It was a good start though and the girls were their everything.

"Lets go." Itachi smiles warmly at them.

They were all wearing rather expensive and elaborate kimonos. He was wearing a royal blue kimono and Sasuke was wearing a red one. Hinata was draped in a lavender gown.

Hinata smiles as she watches her husband carry the twins and they head to dinner. It was only a short walk to the dinning hall. It took even less time for every pair of eyes to be on them though.

* * *

Aiko looks around curiously. There were so many big people here. It was nothing like home. There it was mostly her, her sister, their Mommy, and their Daddies. Sometimes there were other people around.

Of course, she didn't really understand why those people were there. One man had eyes similar to Mommy and called himself her grandfather a lot though. There was also a woman with eyes like Mommy, who called herself their Aunt. Then there were people from Team Taka, Team Seven, and Team Eight. She didn't understand the last part at all.

"Ah there you are." Hiashi strides over to greet them, pulling out some chairs for the family. "Sit. We have much to celebrate."

Grandfather seemed to be in a good mood for some reason. She looks over at her sister who was being carried by Daddy Sasuke curiously. Maybe, Ami knew what was going on. Clearly, something was.

"We would have had more to celebrate sooner, if you weren't so stubborn." Sasuke mutters.

Ohhh. Mommy just gave Daddy Sasuke a really dirty look for some reason! He was in trouble! Maybe, he'd end up on the couch!

For some reason, when Mommy got mad, she'd send their Daddies to the couch. They didn't seem to like that too much!

Hiashi glares at Sasuke. Though Aiko was quite certain he was trying to hide it as he hit the shiny glass. "ATTENTION, EVERYONE!" Oh grandfather was being really loud for some reason! Hmm. Strange!

Ami tilts her head as she watches her grandfather. It wasn't like him to be so loud. Something strange was going on and it looked like her sister was just as confused as she was.

She wasn't so sure about this. So she cuddles closely to one of her Daddies' chests. Ami always felt safer when she was cuddled up to one of her family members.

"Today as I said earlier will be a new beginning." Hmm. Daddy Sasuke was making silly faces at grandfather and Daddy Itachi was rolling his eyes slightly! "Let us put the unpleasant of the past exactly where it belongs. In the past!"

Suddenly, people started clapping. Mommy and Aunt Hanabi were clapping really loudly. So Ami guessed that everything was okay.

"Thank you, Father." Hinata smiles as she kisses his cheek. "We all know that this hasn't been easy for you to accept, but I am so happy to be here. So are the twins, Sasuke, and Itachi."

Ami giggles at that. Her Daddies looked like wet cats. Mommy was being silly. They were definitely not happy to be there!

"Yes, that's exactly what we shall do." Itachi nods.

Hmm. What did Daddy Itachi call that? Oh yeah! ANBU Face! ANBU Face was when you hid your real feelings!

Why was Daddy Itachi using ANBU Face? This was so strange. Everyone was so happy, except for her Daddies. They just seemed annoyed.

"So I propose a toast to celebrate the stronger ties to our Clan and Hinata being welcomed back into our family officially. Though obviously she is now married to Itachi and Sasuke." Hmm. Silly grandpa is making silly faces too! "So that point is somewhat irrelevant. Still it is the spirit of the gesture that counts." He smiles.

Hanabi nods approvingly. Well at least things were finally going back to the way that they should be. Her father had accepted Hinata's marriage to some degree, but most importantly he had accepted her nieces and sister back into the family.

"Indeed and they both look so cute in their little pink dresses." Hanabi giggles as she walks over to Aiko and tickles her toes.

Hiashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Yes, well I'm certain they'll look just as cute in other colors." Well Haanabi supposed that she should have seen that one coming. Her father had never really been that fond of the color.

"Yes!" Sasuke shouts rather abruptly and then blushes. "I mean…yes, they'll look great in other colors."

Hinata giggles in response and Hanabi was suddenly sure that Sasuke had not been the one to pick out the twins' clothes. Oh well. That didn't matter now. What mattered most was that her family was back together now and everything was as it should be.

The bluenette smiles at her father. "Do we have any tomatoes or cabbage? Itachi and Sasuke love them." Hinata's husbands were gorgeous Hanabi thinks to herself, but they really did have strange taste buds.

Tomatoes she could almost understand, but cabbage? That was just weird. Maybe, it had some great nutritional value or something. Itachi had always struck her as a rather practical ninja since the truth was revealed.

"Yes, I'll have some brought out immediately." Hiashi smiles.

Hanabi smiles down at the twins. She didn't care what Sasuke said, she was definitely going to get them lots and lots of clothes. After all, they might have the last name Uchiha, but they were also Hyuga Princesses! And Hyuga Princesses should always look their best!


	42. Chapter 42

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter because I am going to try to incorporate several requests into it. Oh and for those of you who are waiting for the Madera x Hinata story, I've updated my Coming Soon Section has been updated with the latest on that.

 **Re Guest Reviewer Response:** I debated about Rei's death. You do raise fair points about Itachi, but it's all a matter of interpretation. It was a combination of his instinct to protect his family, he assumed Sasuke was going to kill Rei anyway, and a preemptive strike hopefully justifies Itachi's actions. A preemptive strike because Rei would have sought out revenge.

As far as the Hyuga Caste System goes, I do have plans for that and they will be revealed shortly. Most likely in Chapter 43 or 44. Seeing that you read all the way to Chapter 40, I do hope that you see this note and continue reading. Apologies to other readers, I know this note was long. Happy reading, everyone!

Chapter 42

Several months had passed and Itachi found himself smiling as everyone was celebrating Aiko's and Ami's Birthday Party. To say the least, it was a good thing they had an entire District to themselves. Otherwise, there was no way that everyone would have been able to attend.

"These kids are going to be so spoiled." Naruto laughs as he gazes at the gift tables.

Well granted, the Hyuga Clan might have gone a bit overboard with the gift giving. Though it was such a large Clan that even if every adult Clan Member gave one gift to both twins, that was still hundreds of gifts!

"Perhaps, but that's only fitting." Itachi smiles as he watches Hinata help the twins to open another gift. "Princesses deserve many gifts." Though it was a shame the twins were far too young to really appreciate everything that was going on.

They were only a year old. That didn't matter though. What mattered was seeing their smiling faces and the fact that the two Clans seemed to have found a way to mend the rift that had previously existed between them.

"Big Daddy!" Aiko giggles as she stumbles over to Hiashi.

Sasuke and Itachi both twitch at that. Big Daddy was apparently how the twins had decided to say Grandpa. He supposed it made sense because grand could be a way to describe big or at least excess and their grandfather was certainly going to excess with his silly informal competition!

Sasuke shakes his head as he stands by Itachi's side. "Well at least we know the twins are walking and talking just fine on their own." He rubs the back of his head sheepishly, clearly not all that thrilled at the nickname either.

Well that was true. Ami and Aiko were now walking and talking to a degree. Of course, they were only one. So they only knew a handful of words. Though they did use those words rather liberally.

Aiko's favorite word was apparently Daddy or Mommy. Ami's were UP and Snakey. She really did love to be lifted up and seemed rather close to Aoda.

"You don't have to be jealous." Hinata laughs softly as she looks over at her husbands, sulking. "They love you too."

Itachi and Sasuke nod at that. Oh he knew that. It was just that Hiashi Hyuga could be an overly competitive child at times! He loved to compete with them for their children's affections!

"We're not jealous!" They both protest at that.

Hiashi smirks at them, making Itachi want to throttle him as he spins Aiko around. "Weee!" While Ami loved to be picked up, Aiko liked to be spun. A lot.

Kurenai shakes her head as she looks at Hinata. "Perhaps, it is time for the cake?" She smiles at her student.

Itachi heard that. Yes, perhaps it was. Though there were dozens of cakes. Just like at their wedding. There kinda had to be. There were hundreds of people in attendance, after all.

The Hyugas, the Rookies, Taka, Tsuande, and several members of Kakashi's Generation had all decided to come. Most of it was out of love for the twins. Though Itachi suspected that part of it was just because they wanted to see the spectacle that were the festivities.

"Oh yeah!" Suigetsu smirks at the cake and Choji was practically drooling. "Those cakes look awesome!"

Itachi couldn't really disagree with that. They had just about every cake imaginable on display somewhere. When you were dealing with this many people, it was only natural to account for as many tastes as possible.

"Jugo!" Karin shakes her head. "You weren't supposed to start eating the cake that soon!"

Sasuke just rolls his eyes at that and it was understandable why. "Says the woman with frosting on her lips." Obviously, Karin had decided to sneak in a couple bites as well.

"Do you really think they can blow out the candles." Naruto tilts his head thoughtfully at Sakura.

The pink haired woman shrugs in response. "If they can't, I'm sure their parents will help them." Indeed.

The entire District was packed full of people, food, and presents. There were also Happy Birthday Banners and Clan Crests stretched everywhere. And glitter. Why was there so much glitter and confetti?! This was going to take forever to clean up!

"Cake!" Aiko giggles as Hiashi places her by the cake.

Ami was even more excited though. She quickly stumbles over towards the cake and Itachi chuckles. Well she was certainly eager.

"Um yeah. I'm not really sure that the one year olds can handle blowing out the candles." Kiba rubs the back of his head sheepishly at the thought.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "These aren't just any toddlers. These are our daughters." Well that settled that, Itachi laughs quietly.

"Just blow as hard as you can to put the fire out." Hinata smiles at the twins as he proceed to do exactly that.

Itachi watches with amusement as they take deep breaths and blow as hard as they could. If nothing else, their daughters were certainly quite determined. The flames were certainly wavering, but he doubted they'd go out.

He notices that Naruto subtly cast some kind of Wind Jutsu though. "Shhh." The blonde places his fingers by his mouth as if to silence him.

Itachi just nods in agreement. Sasuke and the twins definitely didn't have to know about a certain hyper ninja's assistance in this matter!

"I told you that they could do it." Sasuke smiles smugly as Hinata and Itachi smile.

Besides, Sasuke was just so ridiculously proud of them. He didn't have the heart to spoil the moment.

* * *

Several hours later, the party was finally over and Hinata smiles to herself as she waits for her husbands to be finished putting the twins to bed. It had been a long day, but she planned on making it an even longer night.

"They should be here soon." She laughs softly as she takes some cupcakes out of the oven.

Sasuke didn't really have a sweet tooth, but Itachi did. That and she knew that the Uchiha Brothers wouldn't take too long. As long as she was bent over, at least one of them would pounce. Probably both.

"Hinata, we put the girls to bed." Sasuke smiles as he walks into the ktichen with Itachi. "You done with the cupcakes?"

Her youngest husband had put up such a fuss over the girls wearing pink, that the bluenette knew what she had to do. She had to get him over to his aversion to the color. Wearing pink lingerie seemed to be the easiest way to do that.

"Yes, just taking them out of the oven!" The mother of two bends over to do that and places the cupcakes on the counter, before turning the oven off. "They're all done. UMPF!" As predicted, Uchiha Pouncing Mode had been activated, though quicker than she expected.

Itachi laughs at Sasuke's reaction. "Well there. You see? Pink isn't so bad, after all." Sasuke just rolls his eyes at his brother's comment though.

How could he resist the sight of Hinata bent over like that and wearing beautifully feminine, see through lace? The fact that it was pink, well that didn't matter too much to him.

The sweetheart neckline would have been more than enough to get his attention, but the light pink transparent lace was definitely having an effect. "Like you weren't going to pounce, if I didn't." There was even a little silky pink ribbon bow placed tantalizingly in the center of her creamy, ample breasts.

"Oh I never said that I wasn't." Itachi pokes his forehead as Sasuke scoops up Hinata and places her on the kitchen table. "I was just noting that you seem to have gotten over your aversion to pink rather swiftly."

The top split in half after the ribbon. Meaning the sensually fragile fabric split open to reveal her toned stomach and womanly curves. He could also see a pink thong. There was something very elegant and innocent about the way the way the lace all caressed her body, that made him feel well decidedly **not** innocent.

 **Warning Lemon**

"I'm glad to have helped." Hinata laughs softly as Sasuke rolls his eyes playfully.

"Itachi, just shut up and get those chakra cuffs." Sasuke glares at his elder brother as he swiftly scurries off to do exactly that. "You're an evil tease sometimes, Hinata." Sasuke shakes his head as he captures her lips in a heated kiss.

Hinata sighs in pleasure at the kiss as Itachi comes back and slaps the cuffs on her. "Mmm. Maybe." She breaks the kiss and smiles teasingly at him. "But I don't think the two of you mind all that much."

"Definitely not." Sasuke smirks as he sits behind her on the table and caresses her breasts. "You really shouldn't tempt us like that though." He kisses the back of her neck. "It's like dangling meat in front of a starving dog."

Itachi nods in agreement as he rubs her womanhood through the silky fabric of her thong. It was quite an alluring one. A silky pink piece of lingerie that was wonderfully suggestive in the way it framed her creamy thighs.

"Well I like the results of doing so." She tilts her head to the side, letting Sasuke mark up her neck to his hearts content as Itachi teased her with his talented hands.

Gods and Goddess, that felt good. She didn't even mind the fact that she was cuffed. Well that was until someone walked into the kitchen. Her **father!**

"What in the name of the Gods and Goddesses are you doing to my daughter?!" And saw her husbands' teasing her.

Itachi apparently didn't care for being interrupted all that much. "Perhaps, we're trying to give you a grandson this time around." His eyes were crimson red and it was clear that he was in no mood to have their playtime interrupted.

"You damn deviants!" He snarls at them, blushing.

Sasuke glares right back. "And testing out that world renowned Hyuga Flexibility. You're a grandfather. I think you should know by now that our martial bed is a warm one!" Neither was Sasuke it seemed.

Hinata blushes redder than she ever had in her life. That was saying something, considering that she had two Uchihas for her lovers. She couldn't believe that her father had just walked in on them!

"Madness! This is madness!" Hiashi fumes. "I just came to see if you needed any help with cleaning up the District and I come back to find this!"

"That's very sweet of you, F-Father." Damn it! She was stuttering again. "But I think that we can handle it and maybe, it would be better if you come back tomorrow."

Hiashi throws up his hands in defeat as he storms off. "In all my days, I have never seen such outrageousness!" She could hear the door slamming behind him.

"Well not that that unpleasantness is behind us, lets resume were we left off." Itachi shakes his head as he slides her thong off. "You're even more beautiful today than you were on the day we met you. Something, that I did not believe was actually possible."

Sasuke kisses her neck more as he slides the straps of her lingerie gown off and pushes it past her breasts. "He's right." Itachi tugging off the rest of it off. "You are."

Hinata blushes at that and smiles shyly at them. "I could say the same about the two of you." Feeling more bold now that her father was gone, she decides to point out the obvious. "Though I really shouldn't be the only one who is naked here."

Sasuke and Itachi both smirk as they hastily strip. "That's a fair point." Itachi smiles as he kisses her.

It didn't matter how many times they made love, Hinata was always blown away by their masculine beauty. That was a lot of sleek muscle. Elegance and power combined in a very sensual display of the human body.

They were her lions and Hinata supposed that there was a very good reason why a group of them were called a Pride. They had a lot to be proud of.

She didn't have time to dwell on this though as Itachi breaks the kiss and spreads her legs on the table, making her blush at how exposed she felt. "Suck." Sasuke didn't give her much time to process it though, placing his fingers by her mouth.

Sasuke soon groans slightly at the feeling of her hot mouth around his fingers. He knew all too well that it felt even better wrapped around his cock, but he had something different in mind for today.

"You always taste so sweet and you're always so ready for us." Itachi muses as he glides his wonderfully wicked tongue along her womanhood. "Already wet."

Sasuke caresses her breasts with one hand as his other squeezes her backside. "I think our beautiful Byakugan Princess just wants fucked." Making her blush even more. "Otherwise, I doubt she'd bend over in such a provocative outfit and who are we to deny her?" He smirks as he toys with a nipple and slides a finger inside her back entrance.

Hinata blushes at that as she feels Itachi smirk against her most intimate place as he continues making love to her with his mouth. "Ah! I-Itachi!" Without any hint of shame.

His tongue was everywhere and so where his hands. The sight of his dark head of hair buried between her thighs was incredibly erotic. As were Sasuke's dirty words and his hand fondling her breast as he teased her with his other hand in a more lewd location.

"Is she getting wet already?" Sasuke licks her neck suggestively. "I bet she is. Hinata has always loved our mouths on her."

Itachi smirks at that as he licks faster and faster. "Yes, she is. Such a sweet princess." The evidence of her arousal felt like ambrosia on his tongue. "I presume by that smug look on your face you have something in mind."

Sasuke nods as he adds a second finger, continuing to stretch her as he watched Itachi tease her. "Naturally." The sounds of Hinata's heated moans were sending a wave of desire straight through him. If he hadn't been fully aroused by that little outfit of hers before, he definitely was now.

She looked even more beautiful than usual, sitting on the kitchen table with lovely legs spread out like that and a rosy blush adorning her face. Bucking back against his touch and moaning in sensual bliss thanks to both of their efforts.

"I'm going to c-cum!" Hinata squirms wildly, utterly helpless in her chakra cuffs.

Well that was all Itachi needed to hear. He teases her clit with his hand and continues licking her faster and faster. Reveling in every sexy moan she saw fit to give him and the taste of her desire for both of them as Sasuke pumped his fingers inside her faster and faster.

True to hear words, Hinata arches screams their names as she came fast and hard. "S-SASUKE! I-ITACHI!" Causing Itachi to feel a surge of masculine pride at having pleased their beautiful lover.

Sasuke smirks as he watches the gorgeous sight that was Hinata in the midst of an orgasm. Which just made his own arousal all the more evident. "Itachi, I want you to stand by the wall. Hinata, stand in front of him." And gave him the courage to suggest his idea. "I also want you to wrap your legs around my waist."

Itachi nods as strides over to the wall and Hinata follows him, after Sasuke slides out of her. "Perfect." He smiles and dashes over to them.

"I think that I see where you're going with this and I like it." Itachi smiles as he kisses Hinata's neck and thrusts inside that charming backside of hers. "Fuck!" Which was always a delight.

Hot and tight. The woman always fit with them so perfectly. There were times when he thought this might all just be a dream. Nothing could ever cause such ecstasy, but Itachi knew that it was real.

"Tell me if it gets to be too much." Sasuke kisses her hotly as Hinata moans and wraps her legs around his waist.

Bringing his erection dangerously close to her now soaked womanhood. "Mmm I will!" She moans between the kisses and Sasuke smirks at that as he brushes his cock against her teasingly.

Wet. She was so damn wet. How was he possibly supposed to resist this? He couldn't. That was how!

He slowly slides into her, groaning at the sensation. Hot, tight, and dripping wet. "You feel so fucking good." Sasuke growls in approval as he slowly starts thrusting inside her.

She was still wearing the cuffs, so Hinata was in some ways utterly helpless as she was trapped between her two gorgeous lovers. Not that she minded though. It felt so good.

It felt so good to have them both deep inside her. She could feel her desire climbing every higher as the three of them moved as one. Itachi's muscular chest pressed against her back and Sasuke's heated kisses were a deliriously erotic combination that she couldn't resist.

"So good!" She chants again and again. "Don't stop!" Half pleading and half commanding. Surrendering herself to the feeling of their warm skin on her own and their lustful eyes gazing at her with desire and adoration as her own gaze surely returned the favor.

Itachi groans as he moves faster and faster. Gods and Goddesses, she felt so good and watching as she writhed against them in pleasure and helplessly was arousing beyond belief. There was also something to be said for the way the light reflected off those cuffs.

"Don't hold back. Let us know how good we make you feel." He nips her ear playfully and fondles her breasts. "If you're loud enough, Hiashi might still hear you."

Hinata squeaks and blushes deeply at that, though she couldn't suppress her moans. Sasuke and Itachi were taking her hard and fast against the wall. It was a good thing her legs were wrapped around her so tightly and one of Itachi's hands had a firm grip on her ass or she would have fallen down.

Instead, she could only moan as she wiggled her hips and tries to return Sasuke's kisses. Almost purring at Itachi's hands on her breasts. She was so wet. She was going to cum!

"Scream for us, Beautiful." Sasuke murmurs as he breaks the kiss long enough to suck on her breasts teasingly while Itachi gives her backside a light swat.

It was more than enough to send her over the edge. "Itachi! Sasuke!" She screams in pleasure as she reached her second orgasm. Her lovers soon following her.

The rest of the night was spent in the kitchen. In a blur of sensual passion and tangled limbs. Oh and one broken coffee table. It was probably a good thing that the twins' nursery wasn't on the ground floor, Hinata muses to herself as her lovers finally slide out of her and the cuffs were undone.

 **End of Lemon**

"You're amazing, as always." Itachi smiles at her as he kisses her.

Sasuke nods in agreement as he picks Hinata up in his arms and the three of them make their way back to the bedroom. "Yes, she is." He smirks down at her. "It's a very good thing that we all have today off."

Sasuke doubted that any of them really wanted to go into work after that. He quite liked teaching at the Academy and he knew that Itachi and Hinata liked working at the hospital, but the afterglow was a powerful thing and it refused to be denied.

"Yes, it is." Itachi chuckles as he opens the door of the bedroom for Sasuke to carry their princess inside. "Now, lets get some rest. I imagine the twins will be waking us up soon enough."

"That's true." Hinata laughs as she blushes. "So do you like pink better now, Sasuke?"

Her other husband rolls his eyes playfully as he sets her on the bed. "Well I like taking it off you. Does that count?" Before joining her.

Itachi turns off the lights and lays down on Hinata's other side as he wraps the blankets around them. His foolish little brother was being, well foolish again. Sasuke had to know that he liked pink far better now.

"You don't need to pretend." He smirks as he pokes Sasuke's forehead teasingly. "We all know that it's your new favorite color.

"Whatever." Sasuke shakes his head as he kisses Hinata's cheek and they all engage in one of his favorite activities. "It sounds more like it's yours than mine." Snuggling.

Hinata laughs and burrows against them. "Well I'm glad that things seem to have settled down now." Even the village had largely accepted their relationship at this point. "Especially with the Clan."

Her sister would take over for their father when she came of age. After that, Hinata suspected there were going to be quite a lot of shakeups in the Hyuga Estates.

She didn't know whether to be excited or mildly terrified. Her birth family was not one that generally responded well to change. They were nothing like the family she had married into in that respect.

"Me too." Sasuke nods.

Itachi smiles at her reassuringly. "Don't worry." There were times when it almost seemed as if he really was some sort of mind reader. "I'm sure that Hanabi will make a marvelous Clan Head.

"So am I." Hinata smiles sweetly as she curls up against them and yawns cutely. "It's just that I'll always worry about her. She is my baby sister."

"Oh believe me, I understand completely." He glances at Sasuke. "Because he'll always be my foolish little brother."


	43. Chapter 43

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This one takes place two years after the last one and will mostly focus on the Hyuga Clan and Uchiha Family moments. I also made up the Hyuga Ceremony in this one. It may or may not be canon(ish). Explanation for Branch Members will be included in Chapter 44.

Chapter 43

"You know, we're going to have to tell them soon." Itachi chuckles as he wraps his arms around Hinata's rapidly expanding belly. "Or were you planning on surprising them when we came home from the hospital?"

The twins were now three and she was pregnant once again. This time by Itachi. She knew this because they had been rather careful about the paternity of this set of twins.

"We can tell them after the ceremony today." Hinata laughs softly as she leans back against him. "Though we really should be going."

Perhaps she shouldn't be fussing in front of the mirror again, but it was difficult not to. She was five months along and once again, she looked like a damn pufferfish!

The sound of masculine laughter is soon heard and Hinata turns her head to find Sasuke standing in the doorway with the twins at his side. "Sorry about that." He shakes his head. "It looks like they wanted to play Hide and Seek." Right. Of course.

Sasuke seemed to enjoy giving Ami and Aiko a "head start" on the Academy. It was rather amazing how sneaky he could be about "training" them, even something as easy as Hide and Go Seek was in reality, really designed to teach them the stealth skills that they would one day need on missions.

"We won." Ami giggles happily.

Uh huh. They "won" as in Sasuke had tried to find them and the twins had pounced. It wasn't as if they could have ever really posed a threat to her husband, but he let them pretend they could anyway. Something about building confidence.

Hinata smiles at them. "That's very good." And they were so adorably smug about it as well.

"Yep!" Aiko cuddles to her mother and other father. "Is Shadow coming as well?"

The puppy that Kiba had gotten them during Hinata's baby shower was no longer a puppy. He was definitely a full grown Ninja Dog now and he went basically everywhere the twins went.

Aiko could be rather sneaky times. Using cuddles like that to butter them up to ensure Shadow could come with them. Hinata was almost afraid of what her eldest daughter would be capable of when she grew up.

Oh well. At least for now, her tactics were used only for innocent methods. "Yes, Shadow can come with us, but he'll have to be very quiet during the ceremony." She smiles at them.

"That's right." Itachi smiles at them, kissing both of the twins' foreheads. "For now though, we really should get going." That was true. Hinata most assuredly did not want to be late for her sister's ceremony!

"Lets go." She nods in agreement and with that being said, the Uchiha Family swiftly depart for the Hyuga Estate.

* * *

Hiashi was standing next to Hanabi on the Clan's Grounds a few moments later. He shakes his head when he sees Hinata arrive with her family, including the family dog. To say the least, he still had a hard time looking his eldest daughter in the eye sometimes.

Two years ago, he had walked in on her with her husbands during a decidedly private moment. Needless to say, the Hyuga Patriarch had been highly traumatized to see such a thing and he had learned a valuable lesson on that day. Always knock before coming into the Uchiha Household.

"Thank you all for coming today." He smiles at the crowd. "This is a very special day for our Clan. There is a time for everything and I'm afraid that my time as Clan Head has passed."

He notes with some annoyance that Sasuke's arm was now firmly draped over his daughter's backside as Itachi was holding her hands. Thankfully, at least the twins' and dog were behaving.

Which was a very good thing. It seemed that their fathers were never going to behave. He had long since given up on expecting that to happen.

He shivers slightly at the slight chill in the air, but that wouldn't deter him. "Though there is no need to fear. Our Clan shall be in very capable hands." He smiles at Hanabi. "Hanabi shall lead us now and I have every confidence that she shall do an admirable job!"

He could hear cheers and applause from the crowd, despite the fact that most of them obviously would have preferred to be inside. Winter was on its last gasp, but it hadn't thoroughly surrendered to spring's embrace yet.

"You can do it, Shrimp!" Suigetsu's voice rings throughout the grounds and Hiashi feels himself twitch.

Why Sasuke had invited Taka to this, he had no idea. They had nothing to do with the Hyuga Clan, but he decides to push that thought to the side for now. He had more important things to focus on.

"This is the first bloom of the season." He smiles as he produces a single rose. "Like Hanabi, it is both beautiful and a fighter. Also like our new Clan Head, it is just beginning to bloom." He smiles and places it in her hair.

"It's so b-beautiful." Karin begins sobbing and Hiashi feels himself twitch again.

Honestly, couldn't Sasuke have normal friends? Why did they have to be all insane?! Why did none of them have any respect for the importance of the occasion?!

"YOU'VE GOT THIS, HANABI!" A certain blonde Hokage's voice rang out.

Yes, Naruto was now Hokage. So Hiashi had to invite him to this event and when you invited Naruto, you also had to invite the rest of Team Seven. Good Lord, he should have gagged these people before beginning this ceremony!

Hanabi smiles at Naruto. "Thank you." Though it was soon directed at him. "And thank you, Father. I am honored by the trust you have placed in me on this day." Well at least she at least spoke like a Clan Head now.

"Good. Now, you shall dawn the robes of a Clan Head and you shall drink from the cup of our ancestors!" He smiles at his daughter proudly.

Hanabi smiles as she drinks from the cup. That's when Aiko notices some rather loud giggling coming from some of the Hyuga women and they were staring at her father and uncle.

"Papa." She smiles as she tugs on Sasuke's sleeve. "The women are giggling a lot. I think they want to play with you and Uncle Itachi."

Sasuke immediately freezes up and looks utterly terrified. So did her uncle. Aiko frowns at this unusual behavior. Why were they so scared?

"Are you alright?" Ami looks up at them in concern as well.

Things were really bad, Aiko notes when she wasn't the only one who noticed such things. Her sister had definitely noted the fact that their Papa and Uncle both were both shaking and for some reason, their mother was glaring at them now.

"Well Hanabi does look lovely in her Clan Head Robes." Jugo smiles.

No doubt the man was trying his best to ease the tension that had suddenly sprung up, but it was all too no avail. When their mother got angry about something, she let you know it. There were times when it took the Clan Matriarch awhile to do so, but she always did in the end.

"Yes, she does." Hinata nods at Jugo, while still glaring at her husabnds.

Their mother wasn't a woman who got angry often. At most Aiko would say that Hinata really lost her temper only a couple times a year, but when she did it got really, really scary.

"Do you know why mother is so angry?" Ami's words were so quiet, that Aiko almost imagined she didn't hear them at all.

Upon hearing her question though, all she could do was shake her head. Aiko didn't know what was going on, but she knew one thing. Her Papa and Uncle were in very big trouble!

The celebration went on for hours, but it finally ended. "Well I'd say that was a success." Itachi smiles at everyone. "How about we all go out for ice cream now?"

"Yeah! That sounds great!" Suigetsu grins, displaying his very sharp teeth.

Itachi wasn't too put off by that though. His Akatsuki partner, Kisame, had once done the very same thing to his own teeth and if anything, his were far sharper than the sword lover's.

"Hey!" Sakura gives Suigetsu a dirty look. "You can't just invite yourself like that!"

Itachi raises an eyebrow at this as his foolish little brother just shook his head in amusement. He knew what Itachi did. One didn't try to force Taka to follow the rules of social etiquette. That would never end well.

"It's Suigetsu. He does that sort of thing all the time." Sasuke smirks at the other member of Taka. "Fine, but you're buying your own damn ice cream."

Suigetsu mutters something about cheapskates, but nevertheless nods. This was much to Itachi's amusement, of course.

"Well let's be off then." Itachi chuckles and with that, the grand procession makes their way to the ice cream shop.

* * *

About five minutes later, he notes that they had self-segregated due to necessity. There was no table in the parlor big enough for all of them. So Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu were at one table. The Uchiha Family another and finally, the rest of Team Seven was at a third.

"Well this is quite nice." Kakashi smiles pleasantly and then turns his attention back to reading one of his naughty books.

Yamato shakes his head. "Are you ever going to put those things down?" He laughs at his friend.

Itachi highly doubted that was going to happen. The pervert had been reading them since he was an ANBU. So Itachi sincerely doubted that his friend was going to kick the habit soon.

"Nah!" Naruto laughs. "At the end of the day, Kakashi Sensei is still Kakashi Sensei."

Sasuke orders the Uchiha Family's ice cream as a waiter walks over to them. "Vanilla for myself and Hinata. Strawberry for the twins and chocolate for Itachi." The waiter nods as he jots down the order quickly.

"Very well." He smiles at Sasuke before glancing rather appreciatively at Hinata. "Will that be all, Sir?"

Sasuke twitches and Itachi did as well. "Yes, that will be all." Both Uchiha Brothers snap at the man, who wisely chooses to rush off in fear of his life.

There was killer intent radiating from both of them and the waiter was apparently not feeling suicidal today. He had made the smart choice. Never get between an Uchiha Brother and their Byakugan Princess!

"Did you have to look at that poor man as if you were going to kill him?" Sai smiles cheerfully at them.

Damn right they did. "Obviously. How else is he going to get the message?" Itachi tilts his head.

Of course, he had briefly contemplated trapping the man in a Genjutsu, but that might have been a bit much. Though Itachi was almost certain that Sasuke's fingers had been itching to form a Chidori.

"That's a good point." Sasuke nods as he leans over and kisses Hinata hotly as the water comes back. "It's best to ensure that the message sinks in."

"You're impossible." Hinata murmurs between heated kisses, before it ends and Itachi sets her on his lap.

Ami makes a face. "Gross!" Why were their parents always doing that? "Why do you try to suck each other's faces off?" It didn't make sense.

She knew it was called kissing, but she didn't really get the purpose of it. It looked like it should be painful. Like they were trying to each other, but apparently their parents enjoyed it because they did it a lot!

"You'll understand when you're older." Jugo chuckles.

"H-Here is your ice cream." The server blushes as he sets it down on the table and scurries off.

Hmm. It had apparently been some kind of territorial display. It looked like Papa and Uncle Itachi were jealous of the waiter for some reason and that was why they had kissed her mother.

That was a bit weird, but it made more sense now. Did all men do that, Ami wonders to herself as she makes another face. She doubted she'd ever understand the desire to suck someone's face off, no matter how old she got. Still, she nods politely at "Uncle Jugo" because he was a good Jugo and she didn't want to upset him!

"Thank you." Hinata smiles and shakes her head as the man races off, handing the twins' their ice cream.

Besides, how could she be angry when there was ice cream! Yeah! That was exactly her point!

* * *

An hour later, the groups had split off and the were back in the Uchiha District. Sasuke smiles as he shuts the door behind his family. Now as good a time as any to tell them. He gives Hinata and Itachi a knowing look.

"Ami, Aiko, we have something very important to tell you." Hinata smiles sweetly at their children. "You might want to sit down for this though." She gestures towards the couch.

She was so good with them as he knew that she would be. It was instinctual, he supposed.

"Is this about mother getting fat?" Aiko smiles up at them innocently. "Because we don't care about that! We still love you!"

Sasuke didn't know whether to laugh or to be afraid. Be very afraid. One thing you most assuredly did not do was call a pregnant woman fat! That was normally a death sentence.

Fortunately, he knew that Hinata would never harm their children. That and the twins didn't really know what pregnancy was. Well at least Sasuke didn't think so. (At a minimum, they certainly didn't seem to realize why Hinata was getting "fat, anyway. So he was sure their wife would cut them some slack).

Itachi shakes his head and decides to do damage control. "You're mother isn't getting fat." He chuckles at that though at bit nervously. "She's pregnant."

Ami tilts his her head in confusion. "Oh. Okay." She pauses and then apparently deems it necessary for some clarification to be added. "Wait. What's pregnant?"

Aiko nods her head in agreement. Well that answered that. It seemed that neither of their children knew what pregnancy was judging by the adorably confused looks on their faces.

"Being pregnant means that a woman is going to have a baby or sometimes babies." Sasuke smiles at them. "She's not getting fat. Her belly is just getting bigger to hold the twins."

Ami and Aiko's eyes both widen at that as they suddenly gape at their mother and rush over. Uh oh. They had taken that the wrong way.

"There are babies inside mother's tummy?" Aiko blinks as she pokes it curiously. "Why? Did she eat them? Mother, you really shouldn't eat babies!" She shakes her head. "That's **not** very nice!"

Kids really did say the darnest things sometimes, Sasuke muses. While that was in some ways a very logical thing to wonder, it was also amusing. Still, he couldn't very well allow the twins to think that their mother was some kind of baby eater.

"I didn't eat them." Hinata shakes her head as she kisses their forehead. "Sometimes when a man and a woman love each other very much, the man gives the woman a baby or several of them." Taking it in stride. "The twins are too little to come out yet, but they're safe and sound."

Ami tilts her head at that explanation though she seems to accept it easily enough. "Oh. When are will they be big enough?" Aiko on the other hand was more skeptical.

"Are you sure that we shouldn't get them out now?" Sasuke and Itachi both chuckle at that. "It can't be very comfortable inside someone's belly!"

"Well technically, they're inside your mother's womb." Itachi corrects her.

That probably wasn't the smartest idea. Now, they probably would have to explain what a womb was. Sasuke gives his older brother a dirty look for walking right into that one. He should know better than that!

"What's a womb?" Ami smiles innocently.

Hinata sighs and shakes her head. "A womb is a place inside a woman that can hold a baby until their ready to be born. Men don't have them." The twins look a bit smug at that last part.

Aiko beams at that knowledge. "So girls are better than boys because we can have babies and they can't." Oh boy. This was going to get awkward.

"Well it's a matter of interpretation." Hinata shakes her head. "Though a Mommy needs a Daddy in order to make a baby, she's the one that carries the baby and delivers it."

Itachi chuckles at that explanation. "And a Daddy is the one who puts up with the Morning Sickness, the food cravings, the mood swings, and offers morale support through the delivery at great personal peril." Itachi really did have such a wonderful way of stating the obvious, Sasuke privately observes to himself.

"Oh." Ami nods at this. "Well how does a Daddy give a Mommy a baby?"

This prompts all three adult Uchihas to fall over onto the couch. It was a damn good thing that couch was there in hindsight. If it hadn't been, they would have all fallen on their asses in shock.

"Um we'll tell you that when you're older." Hinata laughs nervously. "For now, I think it's time to put our princesses to bed." The bluenette smiles as Itachi and Sasuke usher the twins upstairs and Hinata sighs in relief.

That had been a close one. They were only three. There was no way that she was giving them the talk!

* * *

Ten minutes later, Hinata was back in her room and brushing her long hair when her husbands came in. "I hope you both realize that you're on the couch tonight." And thus it was about time for her to commence their punishment.

Sasuke blinks in confusion. "Why?" The couch was really the ultimate punishment whenever they had any fights. "What'd we do?!"

Hmpf! It was more like what hadn't they done. She couldn't believe the way that her lovers (and their friends) had conducted themselves on today of all days!

"First, of all Taka and Naruto interrupted Hanabi's Ceremony!" She gives Ssauke a dirty look. "You know how important today was to her!"

Itachi and Sasuke looked ready to protest that one. "You can hardly blame us for their actions." And Itachi was actually foolish enough to do so. "That's not very fair."

Well he might have a point, but Hinata was just getting started. They had both given her multiple reasons to punish them. One had to be firm with Uchihas or else they would walk all over you!

"I'm not finished!" She flails. "Some of my family were also using their Byakugans to look at you!" Down below the belt!

She was thoroughly appalled by their behavior! How _**dare**_ they look at her husbands in such a fashion?! Using the Byakugan to sneak a peek like that was despicable!

"Again, Hinata, that's not really our fault." Sasuke looks at her with his eyes dancing with amusement.

Oh he wouldn't be so amused by the time she got through with him! She always won their fights! Always!

"And then, you two scared the waiter!" She shakes her head. "You were also all over me in front of the waiter and our friends!"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at that. "Well I don't believe you've ever complained about us being all over you before." His voice changes to a seductive purr. "If memory serves, you rather enjoy it when we're all over you and that's how you got pregnant in the first place."

Itachi nods in agreement. "Yes, I believe my foolish little brother is right about that much." Two against one? Oh that so wasn't fair!

Not that it would stop Hinata! She needed to prove a point and she was going to do so! She would show them who wielded the kunai in this family.

Civilians called it wearing the pants. Ninjas preferred a more practical expression. Almost everyone wore pants these days. Oh wait. She was getting off track here!

"Well I do like it when you're all over me." There was no point in denying the obvious. "Though usually you have more tact in public!" She couldn't believe that Sasuke kissed her like that with his teams watching or that Itachi had pulled her into his lap!

"Usually, most men know better than to look at you." Sasuke shrugs as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Her lovers could be quite possessive and usually that was a fact she enjoyed. Still, Hinata to put her foot down here. She couldn't have them terrorizing innocent members of wait staffs!

She shakes her head at Sasuke's answer. "You know that you shouldn't glare at a harmless civilians just for looking at me like that!" He hadn't actually done anything!

"Well I thought it was far better than the alternative, myself." Itachi smiles at her. "We could have trapped him in a Genjutsu or Sasuke could have used his Chidori on them."

Oh that was it! They were in big, big trouble! There was no way that Hinata could let that little gem slide.

"You're both on the couch tonight for even thinking about attacking a civilian like that!" This time she was putting her foot down. "And don't even try to seduce me into changing my mind!"

Sadly, that worked about half the time. Her husbands were rather determined when they wanted something and that something was usually her attention.

Itachi sighs as he looks at Sasuke. "I suppose we should go to the couch." Mercifully, it was a big couch that could be unfolded into a bed and thus was big enough for the both of them. "It's better to take our punishment now, rather than later. You know how she can be sometimes."

"Alright." Sasuke shakes his head as he kisses Hinata's forehead. "We'll sleep on the couch tonight, but remember we're not the only ones who suffer when you do this." He smirks at her. "I know how much you like your belly rubs when you're pregnant. We'll see you in the morning."

Itachi also kisses her forehead before Hinata had time to protest. "Yes, we'll see you in the morning." And with that, they both headed off.

Leaving behind one very infuriated Byakugan Princess. "Damn them!" She sulks to herself because she knew that they were right. She really did like her belly rubs and Hinata rather enjoyed snuggling up to her gorgeous lovers during the night.

Oh well. Certain sacrifices had to be made for the Greater Good now and again. "Hopefully, they learn their lesson." Preferably quickly because a Byakugan shouldn't go without her cuddles for more than a night, really. Doing so would just violate some sort of fundamental law of nature, she was sure of it!


	44. Chapter 44

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Special Thank You:** As a special thank you to guys for all your support on this story, if there is a 500th reviewer he/she can request something for this story or a new fic. If I don't think that I can do the request, we'll just keep talking until we figure something out. That goes for guest reviewers as well as signed reviewers.

Chapter 44

The next morning, Sasuke couldn't help, but feel more than a little smug. Hinata's resolve had lasted for approximately two hours before she drug them back into the bedroom and demanded her belly rubs and well the belly rubs had turned into more thorough rubs not long after. Thank goodness for the Soundproofing Jutsu.

"You don't have to look so smug." Hinata blushes as she tries her best not to glare at him.

Itachi chuckles at that as he helps Aiko and Ami put their sandals on. "This is how big girls put on their shoes." Which made Sasuke want to laugh, but he refrained in favor of focusing on Hinata.

He shakes his head and kisses her. "Why wouldn't I look smug? Itachi and I have the most beautiful wife in the world." Who really, really loved her belly rubs.

How belly rubs somehow translated into desire, Sasuke wasn't sure. Though he wasn't going to argue with it. Whatever worked was just fine with him.

"That is true." Itachi smiles at her. "Our beautiful wife who is carrying another set of twins at the moment." His smile never wavers. "Now, shall we go and see Tsunade? She did say that it was likely we'd find out the gender or genders of this set today."

Idly, Sasuke wonders if Itachi was hoping for more girls, more boys, or a mix. Perhaps, it didn't really matter to him.

The younger Uchiha was just happy that things were finally balancing out in a way. It hadn't been fair that he'd fathered children with Hinata, but Itachi hadn't had that opportunity yet.

That's when a black canine streaks through the room with a scroll in his mouth. "Shadow!" Ami giggles as she reaches for the scroll and pats his hand. "Good boy!" Before promptly opening it and reading.

The knowledge that his daughters could already read before entering the Academy did make Sasuke smug. He had fathered two little geniuses. Though they were still learning and sometimes struggled.

Apparently not that much though. "Mother, Papa, Uncle Itachi, what's a Branch Member and a Seal?" She had gotten the gist of something that she was far too young in Sasuke's mind to deal with!

"It's a long story." Itachi smiles at her. "May I see that letter?" Ami nods as she presents him the letter and Itachi reads it out loud.

 _ **Dearest Sister,**_

 _ **As the head of our Clan now, I am now free to make desperately needed changes to our Clan. No longer will the Main and Branch Houses exist. Nor will the Seal that has been placed on Branch Members. I shall have it removed.**_

 _ **I know that today is a very important day for you. You're likely finding out the gender(s) of your children. I know that this is a lot to ask of you, but perhaps afterwards you could stop by the Estate.**_

 _ **I believe that your good news will somewhat negate the shock of what I'm about to do. I completely understand, if you do not wish to as this is your special day. I do hope that you will consider it though.**_

 _ **Your Sister, Hanabi.**_

Sasuke blinks. Whatever he had been expecting, that hadn't been it. Hanabi wanted to get rid of the Hyuga Caste System.

Of course, he agreed with the idea in theory. In practice though, she was definitely playing with fire. It was no wonder why the Hyuga Matriarch wanted them there. To prevent a Civil War within her own Clan.

"Hinata?" He looks at his wife uncertainly.

She smiles at him serenely and nods. "We shall go, but it would be better if the twins did not." That was a good point. Things could get dangerous there. Though they would need to put them in someone's care during the fallout.

"Are we going to Auntie Kurenai's?" Aiko smiles at her family.

Sasuke chuckles at that. Kurenai was by far the most reliable babysitter who didn't have scales. Yes, they were definitely going to Auntie Kurenai.

He wasn't exactly sure why, but whenever the twins had an adult they liked, that person was bound to get the destination of Auntie or Uncle. It was a kid thing, he guessed.

After all, that's what Sasuke had once called most of the adult members of their Clan when he was a child. "After we visit Tsunade, we'll drop you off at Auntie Kurenai's for awhile." Well except for his parents, grandparents, Itachi, and Shisui. So perhaps, it really wasn't that surprising that the twins would do the same.

"Yay!" Aiko giggles happily. "That means dress up."

Sasuke shakes his head and sighs. The twins were now three which meant that their personalities were definitely making themselves known now.

Aiko was the princess. She loved to play dress up and attention. The eldest Uchiha Princess was also quite happy to play and cuddle and the more vocal of the twins, but she just loved her dresses, glitter, and pink.

"Yes, it does." Itachi agrees with a smirk.

Ami could take or leave the pink and dresses. Though she did love her glitter. One thing was for certain though. She was far less of a stereotypical princess than her sister.

His youngest daughter was certainly more mellow in a way, he supposed. Aiko had a certain way of doing things and woe to anyone who tried to mess with what she perceived as being the natural order of things. "Can Shadow come with us?" Ami not so much. Though she did seem to have a special affinity with animals.

"Alright." Sasuke smiles. "He can come with us." Tsunade would just have to deal with the canine in the hospital for a bit. There was no way that Sasuke could say no to those bubble eyes.

* * *

Meanwhile Hanabi fidgets as she stares at herself in the mirror. She certainly looked like a Hyuga Matriarch, but now was her chance to prove it. Tonight, she was going to rock the very foundations of their Clan's carefully constructed hierarchy to the very core.

"Are you certain that you wish to do this?" Hiashi looks at his daughter with concerned eyes.

She nods at him. The lavender eyed woman had never been more certain of anything in her life. This was what was right.

While she had hated Rei, the young woman now understood what drove her actions. The woman had lashed out at the world that had caged her inside a prison from the time of her birth. Hanabi wouldn't allow another Rei to happen and then there was Neji.

The memory of Neji was more than enough to steel her resolve. "I'm certain. I'm not going to change my mind." Her had given his life to protect Hinata and Naruto after a lifetime of service to their family.

He had been a bird. Whose wings were clipped at birth. The only thing that had allowed him to fly again was death and Hanabi wasn't going to let that happen to anyone else.

"Very well." Her father sighs as gazes at her with wary eyes. "I do believe that you are doing the right thing, but I worry about what the consequences will be."

Hanabi nods in understanding. She was almost sure that her father had wanted to end the Branch System at one point and perhaps, even now he still did. It was just the Hyuga Patriarch feared the bloodshed that might result from such an action.

She smiles at him. "I've sent word to Hinata and her husbands." If anyone could keep such a thing from happening, it was them. "I hope they'll come."

None in their Clan were foolish enough to dare to raise their hand at either Uchiha Brother or her sister. (Because of who her husbands were and the fact that Hinata was certainly formidable in her own right).

Hiashi's eyes widen in horror. "Hanabi! Your nieces are only three!" Oh right.

Well she was positive that her sister wouldn't bring Aiko and Ami along, knowing what she was about to do. That would be foolish. Her sister was far more responsible than that and so were her husbands. They'd find a babysitter.

Though just to be on the safe side, Hanabi decides to send a second scroll. "You're right. I'll tell them to leave the twins with a friend for the night." The last thing she wanted was for her adorable nieces to get caught up in this impending hurricane.

"That's probably a wise decision." Her father sighs in relief.

The man clearly wasn't all that thrilled that Hinata had two husbands, but he did love his grandchildren. That much was obvious. Her father really would do anything for Ami and Aiko and that thought made Hanabi smile as she sends a second scroll to her sister.

* * *

A short while later, Itachi smiles as Tsunade was setting up the ultrasound. A process which seemed to have thoroughly enraptured the twins' attention.

"This thing lets you see the babies?" Aiko blinks.

Tsunade laughs and nods. Thankfully, the busty blonde appeared to understand that children were naturally inquisitive and didn't mind the questions overly much. "Yes, this is an ultrasound and amongst other things, it lets you see the babies…if they're big enough."

The twins nod at this, absorbing this newest piece of information as Ami lightly pokes Hinata's stomach. "The babies are coming soon?" She smiles at her.

Hinata laughs and caresses her cheek. "In a few months. Babies need a long time to grow." That was true, Itachi muses.

Though once they were here, they grew so quickly that it almost took Itachi's breath away, really.

 _The twins had begun to take their first tentative steps recently and that fact made Itachi's heart swell with pride for his adorable nieces. While they were still falling down far more than standing up, it was a joy to watch them make the attempt._

 _Ami managed to stumble over to Sasuke and smiled at him. "UP!" Her hands were held out widely to her father. "UP!"_

 _Instead of picking her up at first, his foolish little brother fell on his backside. Not that Itachi could blame him. Ami had just said her first word!_

 _"D-Did she just talk?!" Sasuke stared at his daughter wide eyed._

 _Itachi nodded and chuckled. "Yes, I believe she did and she wants UP!" The girl definitely enjoyed it whenever either of them lifted her up. So perhaps, it wasn't a surprise that she would say that first._

 _Hinata had just walked into the living room at the exact right moment and her eyes widened to comically wide proportions as her husband got up and lifted Ami into his arms proudly._

 _"Hinata, she spoke!" Sasuke smiled as Ami giggled and the Uchihas promptly walked over to the toddler and gave her many cuddles._

 _Not to be outdone though, Aiko decided to make her presence known as she charged over to them. (Well as fast as a toddler could charge, anyway). "Mommy!" And tried to get their attention. "Daddy!" With great success._

 _"Such good girls!" Hinata smiled and cooed at them as she scooped Aiko into her arms. "And so smart!"_

It was a moment that Itachi would never forget and not long after that, they had both learned the word Uncle and Ami added the word "snakey" to her vocabulary. That girl really did love Aoda!

"How will you know, if it's a girl or a boy?" Aiko looks at Tsunade.

"Oh believe me, I'll know." The medic just winks at her as she turns her attention back to the machine. "Now, lets see what your mother is having."

* * *

Elsewhere in the Leaf, Jugo watches as Naruto and Suigetsu were getting some training in. It seemed the blonde had decided he wanted to learn how to wield a sword and Suigetsu being Suigetsu was more than happy to demonstrate his skill with a blade.

"Do you really think it's safe?" Karin looks at Jugo, her voice scarcely qualifying as a whisper.

He didn't need to ask for clarification. The gentle giant knew exactly what his teammate meant and honestly, Jugo really wanted to say yes. It had been years. Surely, the danger must have passed by now.

As he watches his teammate fight the savior of the ninja world, he shakes his head. "We'll never truly know the answer to that question until the time of our deaths, but I feel like we should be safe." His gut told him otherwise though.

"That is not how you hold a sword!" Suigetsu's voice rang out through the training ground.

Sakrua shakes her head as she watches the fight. "And that's not how a ninja fights." Her attention turns towards Karin. "Is he always so loud?"

Jugo couldn't help, but laugh softly at that question. Yes, Suigetsu was always loud. It was just part of who he was. He'd grown rather accustomed to his teammate's personality quirks over the years though and they had ceased to bother him at this point.

Apparently, Karin didn't feel the same way. "Yes, he is!" She glares at the violet eyed ninja. "We should really gag him or something. He's so annoying!"

Of course, that prompts Suigetsu to lay down his weapon and make a beeline for Karin. The man got right in her face and thus the screaming match commenced.

That was fine by Jugo. He was always prepared for occasions like this. "Here." The gentle giant always brought earplugs with him, everywhere he went.

He'd grown used to such things, but that didn't mean he wanted to go deaf. And well, there was now reason why Sakura and Naruto should either as Suigetsu and Karin faced off in another of their screaming matches.

* * *

Back at the hospital, Sasuke smiles when Tsunade determines the gender. "Boys." The blonde nods at the screen in certainty. "Twin boys. I do hope they aren't identical as well though."

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly at the thought. In a few years, they were definitely going to have their hands full with Aiko and Ami. There was almost no end to the sort of mischief that identical twins could get into.

"That's wonderful news!" Itachi smiles proudly as he kisses Hinata.

The younger Uchiha Brother stood a respectful distance back. It was only fair that he allow Itachi to have this moment. After all, his brother had done the same for him.

Hinata smiles and returns the kiss as the twins look at the screen in confusion. No doubt, they were trying to tell how Tsunade could tell what gender the babies were.

Oh boy. That was a lesson for another day. His daughters were really too inquisitive for their own good sometimes.

"Yes, that would be preferably." Hinata giggles at the thought, after breaking the kiss. "Though we'll love them unconditionally either way." She smiles at the screen, the picture of maternal pride and love.

His instincts all those years ago had certainly been right. Hinata was a wonderful mother and wife. Now, they just had to make sure that this pregnancy and childbirth went as smoothly as the last one.

There was just one, well two adorable, little problems that they hadn't before. They were obviously going to need to make preparations for the twins during Hinata's delivery because Sasuke knew one thing for certain. The delivery room was no place for toddlers.

"Congratulations." The medic smiles at them warmly.

Itachi smiles back and kisses Hinata's forehead. "Thank you. Though we really should be going." That was right. "Hanabi still needs our help!"

Their wife nods in agreement. "Alright, but first we need to drop the twins off at Kurenai's." Good point. They definitely didn't want to bring Aiko and Ami into the middle of what was likely going to be a rather uncomfortable dinner to say the least.

Hanabi was now upending the very foundation of life within the Hyuga Clan. The Main and Branch Houses. This could get ugly and fast.

"Of course." And with that, the young family leaves the hospital and quickly drops off the twins with a certain Genjutsu Mistress before heading towards the Hyuga Estate.

* * *

About an hour later, Hinata watches her sister with anxious eyes. Once again, another Clan Meeting had been called and to say the least, everyone was on edge. That was only natural though. Rarely, were Clan Meetings held so closely together.

"Thank you all for coming." Hanabi smiles at the enormous crowd that had gathered. "This is a day of changes." That didn't sit well with the crowd. They were now suddenly all looking rather nervous. "Good changes though." Hanabi gestures towards the Uchihas to join her.

Hanabi nods and dutifully strides over to her sister. Her husbands swiftly followed. She could only hope that this would go over better than she thought it would.

Hiashi nods at his daughters encouragingly and Hinata notes that her sister was bracing herself. "The first is that my sister has wonderful news." Hanabi's lavender eyes look at Hinata pleadingly.

The Uchiha Matriarch shakes her head in amusement. Well it was now or never. "My husbands and I just got back from our latest visit with Lady Tsunade." She places her hand over her rounded stomach proudly. "And it seems that once again, we're having twins." Hoping that her good news would soothe the panic of the Main House Members when the time came for Hanabi to unveil her plans. "Boys this time."

"Congratulations, Lady Hinata, Lord Sasuke, and Lord Itachi." Someone calls out and there were murmurs of agreement.

Hinata didn't know how she felt about the title Lady or Lord being applied to their family. Though technically, she supposed that was accurate. She was now the Matriarch of the Uchiha Clan, after all.

"Thank you." Itachi's and Sasuke's voices speak as one.

It really was a marvel, how they could mirror each other so effortlessly. Hianta supposed that it was the result of being brothers and being married to the same woman for so long.

Hanabi nods at her Clan approvingly. "Yes, it is wonderful news." Hinata could tell that her sister was terrified though, even if she hid it rather well. "As is my next announcement."

Her husbands were ready to spring into action at a second's notice, the bluenette realizes. The way they were coiled reminded her of cobras ready to strike. Strike at any who would dare to threaten her and by proxy, her sister and father.

"Forgive us, Lady Hanabi, but what news?" The question is heard from the crowd.

It was a fair question. Hinata squeezes Sasuke's and Itachi's in her own. The moment had finally arrived. The moment when the Main and Branch House Systems would come crashing down. She just hoped that the Hyuga Estate would still be standing afterwards.

Hanabi takes a deep breath and continues. "I'm abolishing the Caste System, effective immediately." There were hundreds of gasps. "There will be no more Branch and Main Houses, only one House." She smiles at them. "The House of the Hyuga Clan!"

One of the Branch Members finds the courage to speak somehow. "What about the Seals, My Lady?" That was a good point, Hinata concedes.

Having a symbolic shredding of the Caste System meant nothing for those that had the Seals, unless they were removed. "I'm glad you asked that." Hanabi's smile never wavers. "The Seals will be removed as soon as possible. We will now be a Clan of equals as we were always meant to be."

The reactions were rather mixed to say the least. Some people were still gasping in shock. Others were howling with outrage. Still, there were others who were whispering amongst themselves.

So far it hadn't come to blows yet, but Hinata wasn't sure how long that would last. "QUIET!" Hiashi intervenes on his daughters' behalves. "Hanabi is the leader of our Clan and you will abide by her decision or be disowned."

His words were like magic, Hinata realizes. Suddenly, a stunned silence fell over the crowd. How long it would last remained uncertain, but for the moment it looked like chaos wouldn't reign supreme, after all.

"I know that I am not a Hyuga by blood or technically by marriage." Hinata feels dread growing in her stomach at the sound of Itachi's voice piercing through the silence. "But I have children who have Hyuga blood in them and I am married to a wonderful woman who was born in to your Clan. So I feel qualified to speak on this matter." This might not end well. "In the end, this will make your Clan a stronger and happier one."

Oh. Well that wasn't too bad. Though she did feel Sasuke tighten his grip on her hand slightly, after Itachi spoke. He was getting ready to run with her, if need be. Sasuke was worried for her safety.

Hanabi nods gratefully at Itachi. "You are free to speak your mind within these grounds as long as I am the Head of this Clan." She then turns her attention to the others. "It is my sincere hope that he speaks the truth. As my father said, if you do not believe you can live under the new system, then you will have to take your leave."

That was a great threat. Hinata knew what it meant to be banished and so did the rest of their Clans. Some Main House Members looked ready to protest, but they were all staring at Sasuke and Itachi.

None of them appeared to be reckless enough to make a direct move while they were there and the fact she was pregnant, likely had something to do with it. Still, she couldn't shake her feeling of unease.

"And while the Branch House suffered horribly under this system, I will tolerate no revenge seeking. The Main House Members will hence forth treat former Branch Members with the same courtesy that they would each other." Hanabi sighs heavily. "Let that be the end of all the bad blood that has existed in this family and let us begin anew."

Sasuke nods, but Hinata hadn't actually expected him to speak on the matter. "Should Hyuga turn against Hyuga, the House of the Uchiha will intervene. So if violence erupts, know that it will be short lived." He flashes his Sharingan and Rinnegan menacingly as if to illustrate his point.

"My brother is correct, but for now this is the part where we will take our leave." The elder Uchiha Brother smiles and kisses Hinata's forehead. "We are eager to get back to our children, after all and our wife needs her rest." He gestures to her pregnant belly. "We do wish you all nothing, but the best though." And with that, the three of them Flicker off.

Hinata didn't know what the future would hold for the Clan of her birth, but she knew one thing. The Hyuga Estate was never going to be the same.


	45. Chapter 45

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Noted:** Thanks for the reviews. I know that everyone is really excited to see the boys and perhaps, a sprinkling of drama. Oh and if you're interested in seeing what new stories are about to be posted, feel free to check out my profile. I am also very happy that Re Guest Reviewer understands why I went the way I did with Rei now. With all that being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This takes place approximately four months after the last one. It's time to meet the Uchiha Boys! Neji and Shisui are considered both Aiko's and Ami's half brothers (because they share the same mother) and their cousins (because their fathers are brothers). So you may see me referring to them as Aiko's and Ami's cousins, half brothers, or brothers interchangeably.

Chapter 45

"My water just broke." Hinata glances at her husbands and daughters with slightly panicked eyes. "We have to get to the hospital!"

Aiko didn't really understand what that meant, but it sounded bad! What did her mother mean by her water broke? She didn't see any water and you couldn't really break water, could you? Maybe, she meant she spilled something?

Instantly, Sasuke takes one of Aiko's hands and Hinata's other. Itachi did the same with Hinata and Ami. Hmm. Yep. They were definitely going to the hospital.

"Hold on tightly." Sasuke smiles at them. "We're going to Flicker to the hospital and then I'll watch you two in the waiting room." The waiting room, what were they waiting for?!

Itachi snorts in amusement and that only further compounds Aiko's confusion. Something very strange was going on, but she didn't know what!

His dark eyes shimmer with amusement. "You just don't want to be in the delivery room while she's in labor again." Labor? Wait. Delivery? Ohhh.

"I think our brothers are arriving today!" Ami smiles at her sister cheerfully.

Yes, that must be it! That would explain the panicking and why they were going to the hospital. She didn't completely understand childbirth, but she knew it could take awhile and according to mother it was a very, very painful process. (Though worth it, she had assured them).

Sasuke just smirks at Itachi in response. "Well that's true, but I don't think the delivery room is a place for Aiko and Ami." Why not? "And someone has to watch them."

Hinata shakes her head at all this. Aiko sensed that her mother was becoming somewhat exasperated at her husbands' behavior.

"That's fine." The bluenette laughs softly. "Sasuke is right. I'm not really sure that Ami and Aiko are ready to witness childbirth."

Why not? Did their parents think they were babies or something?! They were big girls now!

"We can handle it!" They could! Aiko just knew it! "We can all stay in the delivery room together!"

Itachi just shakes his head. "The waiting room is much more fun than a delivery room." Which wasn't a high bar, but Sasuke knew it was true as well as Itachi did.

The Uchiha Matriarch had apparently had enough of waiting though because she Flickers them to the hospital themselves. Flickering was always a weird feeling to say the least. Aiko wouldn't call it painful, but it just felt weird!

"Sasuke, please take them to the waiting room." Itachi sighs as he hands Ami off to his brother. "I'll go with Hinata."

Sasuke nods and drags them both off to the delivery room. Aiko could see that her sister wasn't feeling anymore pleased about this than she was.

"Why do we never get to see the good stuff?" Ami sulks and well, Aiko was inclined to agree.

Adults always thought they were babies. She didn't know why. Sure, they were little. They were Uchiha Princesses though. They could even through kunais and activate their bloodlines!

* * *

Several hours later, Hinata was still in labor. It was just as painful a process as she remembered. Though maybe, it would have been easier if her lovers would stop being overachievers and giving her twins!

"You're doing amazingly." Itachi smiles softly at her.

Normally, Hinata quite loved her husband's beautiful smile. Right now though, she was fighting back the impulse to punch him!

Logically, she knew that was wrong. The Uchiha Matriarch loved him and he loved her, but he was on thin ice. How dare he patronize her when she was in so much agony?!

"This time should be quicker than before." Tsunade smiles at Hinata encouragingly. "You can think of it this way. Aiko and Ami cleared the way for their brothers." She knew that!

"Lady Tsunade, with all due respect, I am a medic!" She already knew that! "I'm well aware of what goes into childbirth and the factors that determine its duration!" Honestly! "AHHHH!" And another contraction had just hit.

Those were not fun! Hinata winces as she tries to will herself through it. After all, she was a ninja and she had survived his once before. If civilians could do this, so could she!

"Of course." Itachi nods at her as he kisses her forehead. "Ami and Aiko are really excited to meet their brothers."

Oh so that's how it was huh? He was going to try to emotionally blackmail her into pushing out the second set of twins faster?! Clever!

Suddenly, Hinata could understand what Sasuke had gone through as a child and a teenager. Itachi could be very, very manipulative.

She loved him. Gods and Goddesses did she love him, but Itachi was still very sneaky. "I know." The bluenette was about to tell him so when another contraction hit. "AHHH!"

Damn it. Hinata could only hope that this labor would indeed be shorter. Aiko and Ami had been born early, but these two had made it all the way to end of her pregnancy. Which probably meant, her sons were bigger than their sisters.

"You can do it, My Love." He smiles at her.

He really, really wanted a not so Gentle Fist to his equipment. That's what Itachi was asking for, Hinata decides and she was seriously considering doing so. Though her contractions and her more rational mind kept her from actually carrying out that particular whim.

She gives him a dirty look for that. "I know I can do it, but next time you can deliver them!" Hmpf!

"Hinata, I would, but that's not physically possible!" Her lover returns her look with a confused one.

He really did want strangled today! "I know! Don't gloat!" Lucky! He was so lucky that he didn't have to go through the horrors of childbirth!

* * *

Back in the waiting room, Ami looks at Sasuke in confusion. He was writing something. So curiously, she peeks at it.

 _ **Dear Hiashi and Hanabi,**_

 _ **Hinata has gone into labor. We're now at the hospital. The boys will likely be arriving before the day is out.**_

 _ **You may wish to give her a few days to recover before visiting, but I will send word as soon as they arrive. If Hinata looks too tired for visitors, please respect that and you can always come back later.**_

 _ **Right now, I'm in the waiting room with the twins. They're both very curious about all this. Though for the most part, they are behaving. Even if Ami thinks she's sneaky by reading over my shoulder.**_

 _ **Sincerely, Sasuke.**_

Ami squeaks at having been caught. Oh no! Sasuke just shakes his head at her as Aiko laughs.

Hmpf! How dare her sister laugh at her?! It wasn't like she was any better at sneaking around than she was!

"You got caught!" Aiko teases her.

Well yeah! That was because their father was very good at noticing things like that. "Like you could do any better!" It was almost impossible to get anything past their parents or Uncle Itachi!

With that thought in mind, she sighs as she looks around the room. Waiting rooms were so boring! Gray walls and beige carpets. The only thing mildly interesting about it was the painting of a large sunflower in the corner and the receptionist desk.

She wasn't really sure what a receptionist was, but that was the word that was on the plaque. She sure was typing fast though!

"I'm a better sneaker!" Her sister smirks at her.

The smirk?! Oh she was pulling out the smirk?! Well maybe, she should see about trying fireball! Father said she was a little bit too young to learn that yet, but it was in her blood.

Her mother had fire and lightning chakra natures and so did her father. Fire was strongly linked with their family. Maybe, she could get lucky. She had seen Sasuke use it before. It didn't look _**that**_ hard.

Sasuke shakes his head. "Both of you be good or we won't go out for ice cream after this." Oh that was evil!

Their father was threatening ice cream time! Ice cream time was sacred! He knew that!

"Yes, father." They both sigh dutifully as Sasuke places the scroll by the window and a hawk retrieves it, before flying off.

Ami wasn't really sure how the hawks knew when to grab things, but they were apparently trained to do it. Which was pretty cool! They were smart birds! Just like Garuda! (Even if Garuda didn't say much, she knew that he was smart)!

* * *

About ten minutes later, Hiashi blinks as he sees a messenger hawk flying towards him. That could mean only one thing.

"HANABI!" Hinata had gone into labor. "The messenger hawk is here!" Again!

As soon as he called out for his daughter, the new Hyuga Matriarch quickly scurries over. He really did have to teach her how to move quickly with more dignity, if she was ever going to be taken seriously!

She beams at him in such a way though, that he quickly discards that thought. "Wonderful! What's it say?!" How could he ever remain cross with her when she had her mother's sweet smile?

Emiko. It was such a shame that she couldn't be here to see their grandchildren. She would have adored the twins. (Both sets of them).

"Hmm. Lets see." He pushes that thought to the side though. "Hinata has gone into labor, but Sasuke believes it would be best for us to wait a few days before coming to her side." Likely to give her time to recover.

That was surprisingly sensible coming from him. Hiashi reluctantly admits that he was rather impressed at the other man's foresight. He might be a deviant, but Sasuke was still a very intelligent man.

Hanabi pouts at that. "Well I guess that makes sense." Indeed. It did.

Giving birth to twins couldn't be easy. Of course, Hiashi had never personally done so himself, but he had witnessed his wife giving birth twice.

Just watching it was bad enough. He couldn't imagine how women ever managed to do so repeatedly. Clearly, women were insane or had a much higher tolerance for pain than men did in at least one circumstance.

"We should probably tell the others though." She smiles. "They'll want to know."

Hiashi nods in agreement. "Call a Clan Meeting." This would give them something to celebrate.

To say the least, dissolving the Branch House had caused some friction amongst the Clan. The Branch Members couldn't just let go of centuries of mistreatment and the Main House Members feared retaliation.

He mentally corrects that thought. The FORMER Branch House Members and FORMER Main House Members. The two Houses no longer existed. Though they were all still in the process of getting used to that. It was truly a new era in the Hyuga Clan.

"I will do so." Hanabi smiles at him as she proceeds to leave to do exactly that.

One that everyone was uncertain. Though the former Branch Members were overjoyed at their freedom, no one really knew how to interact with Hyugas who weren't from their original sect.

Hanabi was doing her best, of course. Hiashi couldn't lie though. He really did fear for what might happen, if tensions were not eased. That was a matter for another day though.

Today was a cause for celebration. He was going to have four grandchildren. Two granddaughters and two grandsons! Emiko would have been so proud!

* * *

A short while later, Itachi watches in wonder and agony as a loud cry is heard in the hospital room. His firstborn had arrived into the world. With a roar. This child had impressive lung capacity!

"Sakura, make sure he's alright!" Tsunade's command echoes throughout the room. "Hinata, you're almost there. Just keep pushing!"

Oh boy. That wouldn't end well, Itachi thinks to himself as he watches Sakura anxiously. Telling Hinata to push in a situation like this was just asking for a Gentle Fist.

His wife really hated it when people stated the obvious during childbirth. Itachi had learned that the hard way. Then again, that might just be the pain talking.

"Don't worry!" Sakura smiles at them both. "He's perfectly healthy!"

Well that was a relief. Though Itachi still couldn't wait to hold his son in his arms. There was another boy that needed to be brought into this world.

"AHHHH!" Hinata cries out once more as she pushes with all her might until their second son was born.

Tsunade smiles and begins examining him as Sakura walks over to Itachi and places the newborn in his hands. "He's beautiful." The medic assures him as the busty blonde looks their youngest child over, before proclaiming that he was also healthy.

"I'll get you cleaned up really fast." Sakura smiles at Hinata. "And then I"ll go and get Sasuke and your daughters!"

Itachi nods in approval at this as he gazes down in amazement at his eldest son. To put it quite simply, it was as if he was looking into a mirror. Everything about this boy save for his eye color and skin tone was nearly identical to him.

No paternity test was needed as he glances over at the other child. Who was identical to the first. They were his children. Just as surely as Aiko and Ami belonged to Sasuke.

"Here you are." Tsunade gently places the younger child into Hinata's arms. "They're both very handsome boys."

Hinata smiles sweetly at the small bundle in her arms. "Of course, they are. They're Uchihas." That was true.

With that being said, Sakura quickly darts off to inform Sasuke and the girls that the boys had arrived as she called them. Itachi was quite certain that name would stick. The Boys.

* * *

Sixty-three minutes later, Sasuke smiles as Aiko and Ami play with their half brothers (and cousins). They had been inside the delivery room for over an hour and his daughters were getting to know their cousins. (Who more likely than not, were going to be viewed as their brothers).

"They're so little!" Aiko giggles as she plays with one's toes.

Hinata shakes her head in amusement. "You were once that little." Indeed and it felt like that was the case, only yesterday! "They will get bigger."

Ami was just as enchanted as she plays with the other twin's hair. "What are their names?" Right. Well that was a good point.

They were going to need names. Sasuke looks over at Itachi uncertainly. He knew that it was only right to let Itachi and Hinata decide their names this time.

"The eldest will be Neji." Hinata nods her head determinedly. "And the youngest will be Shisui."

Sasuke's eyes widen at that. Shisui had been the name of his cousin and Itachi's best friend. He had died years ago and had actually ripped out his eyes in order to ensure Danzo wouldn't get them.

The man had been completely dedicated to the Leaf Village. So much so that he had willingly given his own life to protect it. He was a ninja with great honor, but wasn't it a bad omen to name an innocent child after someone who had lived such a short and tragic life?

Itachi seems to sense his panic. "This time around, Shisui will get his happy ending." There was such conviction in his voice, that all Sasuke could do was nod.

When his brother spoke that way, there was no point in debating the matter. Itachi was resolute in his resolve to honor his fallen friend and to protect his sons. That was the end of the matter as far as he was concerned.

"Neji and Shisui!" Aiko giggles. "That rhymes!"

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Well yes. He supposed it did. Though he doubted that had been Hinata's and Itachi's intention when they chose those names.

Itachi smiles at them. "Yes, it does." He smiles and kisses Hinata's cheek. "You did wonderfully, My Love."

She always did wonderfully. That was just who Hinata was in Sasuke's mind, but he no longer felt the need to point that out. Itachi knew that just as well as he did!

"Of course, I am an Uchiha." Hinata smirks at him.

Ah. Well it seemed like they were definitely rubbing off on their wife in more ways than one, Sasuke observes with a smirk of his own.

* * *

The next day, Hinata notes with amusement that the barrage had started. Try as much as Itachi and Sasuke might to stem the tide, not even they could stop it. Stop people from barraging into their room and demanding to see the twins.

"Awe!" Suigetsu tickles their tummies. "They're so cute!"

Karin laughs softly. "I hope they don't start to cry when they see his ugly mug!" Causing the sword lover to twitch.

Jugo for his part however was just happy to admire the cuteness that was Neji and Shisui. The gentle giant had always been a bit more respectful of personal space than his teammates in Hinata's mind. Well okay. A lot more respectful!

"They're adorable!" Hanabi squeals at her sister as she stares at the younger set of twins.

A large scaly head peeks through the window. "Very healthy Hatchlings!" Aoda apparently couldn't stay away and never could Garuda. "Garuda thinks so as well." Hinata could make out the outline of some wings in the background. Aoda was hogging the window, it seemed.

Naruto comes rushing in along with Kakashi and a very sheepish looking Sakura. Obviously, she had failed in her duties to guard the door. Not that Hinata minded too much.

"Wow!" He grins at Hinata. "So you managed a second set then?" Hinata laughs softly at the blonde's antics. "They really are overachieving bastards, huh?" Now, that made her twitch.

Luckily her daughters were on the case. "You said a bad word!" Aiko waves her finger at him. "You don't wanna do that!"

Ami nods her head in agreement, apparently determined to back her sister up. "Cause mother gets really mad, when that happens!" With accuracy!

Honestly, the bluenette didn't want her daughters to go to the Academy and just start cussing up a storm! That would reflect so poorly on their parenting. (Though she suspected that Itachi and Sasuke would both be enormously amused by such a situation, if it ever did happen)!

Naruto gulps a bit nervously at that while Sakura shoots him a smug look. "Yes, Naruto." She swats the backside of his head. "You should really watch your language around them!"

The girls giggle, but Hinata shakes her head and sighs. "I appreciate it, but you really shouldn't hit someone in front of them either." Prompting more giggles from the twins.

"Alright. Alright." Sasuke shakes his head. "I think that's enough for now." Her savior! "We don't want to overload Hinata, Neji, and Shisui." Sasuke smiles at them.

"Of course not." Hiashi smiles and kisses Hinata's forehead. "They're a wonder Hinata, truly." He pauses for a moment and then adds. "Neji would be honored to have one of your children named after him."

Hinata nods shakily. She missed her cousin horribly, but she had honored him in the best way she knew how. Unlike her cousin, her son would grow up free. Without the burden of a Seal.

"I know." She smiles at him.

Itachi shakes his head, apparently deciding Sasuke needed some help in clearing the room. "You all heard my brother!" And well Itachi was Itachi. "Our wife needs some rest. You can come back and visit us all more tomorrow!"

His words were like magic really. Everyone cleared out as if they had been commanded by the Sage of Sixth Paths himself! Itachi had that effect on people though.

"Uncle Itachi is magic." Aiko and Ami both nod their heads. "He can make people disappear!"

Sasuke winces slightly at that and so does Hinata. The twins had no idea how accurate that statement was. Fortunately, Itachi just laughs.

"Yes, Uncle Itachi is magic and you should make sure any boys that try to court you later remember that!" He smirks smugly.

Oh boy. Hinata almost pitied her daughters really. When they came of age, it wasn't going to be pretty.

She couldn't imagine that Sasuke or Itachi would ever think that there was anyone worthy of them. Oh well. She'd worry about that another day.

Hinata smiles as she cuddles little Neji and little Shisui to her chest. Right now, she had two newborns who needed to be fed and she definitely needed her rest. Childbirth was never easy, but having twins was just frankly exhausting.

"After you feed them, we'll make sure that no one bothers you while you sleep." Itachi beams at her.

His eyes were filled with fatherly pride. That made it all worth it. Every painful contraction suddenly was becoming nothing more than a memory.

The looks in Sasuke's and Itachi's eyes when they had gazed down at their children had been nothing short of incredible. So beautiful. It not only took her breath away, but also the pain.

"Thank you." She smiles at her family. "I love you. All of you."

Sasuke and Itachi smile at her as they kiss her forehead. "We love you too." The two of them speaking in unison as they had done so many times before.

They weren't the only ones though. Aiko and Ami smile at her and copy their father's actions. "We love you too, Mother." They kiss their cousins' foreheads as well. "And we love Neji and Shisui too!" And Hinata just smiles in response because in that moment, everything was absolutely perfect in a way that mere words could never fully articulate.


	46. Chapter 46

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** This takes place a year after the last one. Oh and as I said last chapter in my revised Author's Note, Neji and Shisui are technically both Aiko's and Ami's half brothers and cousins. So you may see me refer to them interchangeably. Sorry for any confusion.

Chapter 46

Hinata shakes her head in disappointment. The girls really should know better than to practice their Fireball Jutsus inside the house. Their walls might be fireproof, but everything else…not so much.

"Aiko, Ami, how many times have I told you only to ever practice that Jutsu outside?!" The had an **entire** District and Clan Training grounds for that! "Your brothers are very little. What if the fire got too big and they couldn't get away?!"

The Uchiha Matriarch loved her children fiercely, but having two young girls and two toddlers for sons could be exhausting sometimes. This was particularly the case lately, now that Neji and Shisui had progressed beyond the crawling stage and into the walking one!

Aiko actually protests! "Mother, we didn't do it!" Which only made Hinata raise her eyebrows.

Her eldest daughter really should know better than to lie to her! Lying for the sake of a mission was one thing, but lying to your family was just unacceptable!

"Well who did it then?" She shakes her head. "Your father and uncle know better than to practice such things inside the house and I certainly didn't do it."

Ami comes to her sister's defense. "It wasn't us, mother!" Uh huh. "It was Neji!" She pauses and adds. "Shisui helped though!"

Hinata shakes her head. Well she was glad to see her girls were getting along so well and had each other's backs, but this lying had to stop. Though she supposed to a certain extent, it was only natural. Sibling rivalry was a perfectly normal thing.

"No ice cream for either of you tonight." She'd have to put her foot down though. "Lying to me and trying to blame your brothers for your actions is not behavior that I'm going to encourage!"

That's when Sasuke and Itachi come downstairs. Sasuke was carrying Neji and Itachi was carrying Shisui. Good. Maybe, her husbands could help her get this all straightened out.

Sasuke shoots her a confused look. "Is something wrong?" Hinata nods at the question as he and Itachi quickly place the younger set of twins in their storller.

"The girls are claiming that Shisui and Neji are responsible for these scorch marks on our carpet." She didn't know why the twins actually thought that she would believe two toddlers could produce a fireball! "I've taken away their ice cream privileges for tonight."

Itachi shakes his head in disbelief as he pokes Ami's and Aiko's foreheads. "You really shouldn't lie to your mothers. Fireball Jutsus require a certain level of chakra that babies just don't have." That was right! They shouldn't lie to her!

Sasuke laughs softly and gestures to the door. Hinata knew exactly what he was saying. Her husband thought they should get going and for very good reason! Today was Aiko's and Ami's first day at the Ninja Academy!

"We should probably go." Her younger husband rolls his eyes playfully. "I don't want people to think that I'm like Kakashi and always late for everything."

Well that was a fair point. Hinata quite liked Kakashi, but the man was late for almost everything. He'd always mutter some excuse about getting lost on the road of life or helping an old woman cross the street though.

Everyone knew that he was lying about that, but what he actually did was something of a mystery. The bluenette suspected that Sasuke might know, but she'd never really thought to ask before. If nothing else, the Uchiha Matriarch preferred to respect people's privacy when given an option.

Itachi snorts at that. "I have no idea why a Jonin has such a hard time keeping track of hour." Neither did Hinata.

"He has his reasons." Sasuke waves off his brother's scorn. "And they're good ones. So let's just leave it that." He smirks at his brother. "You're on Stroller Duty. I'm on Jungle Gym Duty."

Hinata laughs softly at that as Sasuke sits down on the couch and their daughters drawl onto him. Each of them having claimed a shoulder for their very own.

Their father's and uncle's shoulders were prime real estate, it seemed. Unfortunately, soon enough they would simply be too big for that to be a possibility. It was a matter of space more so than their weight. Sasuke and Itachi were powerful enough to level villages. They could easily handle carting around two little girls, but their backs and shoulders were only so big.

"Alright then." Itachi pushes the stroller forward. "Lets go." And with that, the Uchiha Family quickly proceeds to depart for the Academy!

* * *

Meanwhile Tsunade shakes her head at Kakashi and Guy. The three of them were meeting for their now weekly drinking session and it seemed a certain CopyCat Ninja wanted to gloat.

"I told you that it would happen." He smirks.

Guy shakes his head in amusement and releases a loud belly laugh. "Well the Power of Youth and Love is not to be underestimated." The spandex lover was in high spirits as well, apparently. "Though I never would have thought that all three of them would be married."

That was putting it mildly. Of course, those laws had been on the books forever. No one had thought to use them in years before the Uchiha Brothers and Hinata though. Now, things were definitely changing.

While two person marriages vastly outnumbered what Tsunade privately dubbed the Triads, the Triads were starting to gain ground. Perhaps two or three marriages out of every hundred in the Leaf, were now Triads.

"That's right." Kakashi smiles smugly. "My how times flies. Just yesterday, Sasuke was a Genin and now, he's a father and an uncle."

They were certainly the minority and there were still many villagers who didn't approve of them, but few voiced their objections in public anymore. While some people might disapprove of such arrangements, no one really wanted to risk earning the wrath of Itachi or Sasuke Uchiha (or even Hinata).

She shakes her head. "I can't believe they're already enrolling in the Academy." Tsunade was getting way too old!

Well at least she still _looked_ young. That was something and thankfully, her apprentice was flourishing. If nothing else, the medic knew that her legacy was in good hands and really, that's all anyone could ask for.

The Will of Fire was being passed on. Tsunade just hoped that wasn't a LITERAL Will of Fire with Aiko and Ami though. Otherwise, there was no way the Academy was going to survive long enough for them to make it to graduation!

* * *

A short while later, the Uchihas arrive at the Academy. They were far from the only ones there though. Itachi notes with more than a little amusement, that Naruto was preparing to give some kind of Speech.

The blonde might not have been the most eloquent speaker, but he spoke from the heart. People always appreciated that.

"Arf! Arf!" Shadow had sneakily followed them to the Academy. "Don't worry, Mistress Aiko and Mistress Ami!" The sly dog. "You'll do great, I know it!"

Itachi couldn't really bad angry with him. After all, the Inuzukas got away with bringing their Ninja Dogs to the Academy. So it wasn't as though it was a particularly unusual sight to see a dog here and besides, he was cheering the twins off. How could he be angry with that?

"Thanks, Shadow!" Ami smiles down at him sweetly.

Hinata laughs softly as she scratches the dog's ears. "You're just trying to distract us with your cuteness in hopes that they'll get their ice cream later." Shadow to his credit, didn't even bother to deny that though.

"Perhaps." He smiles at her and wags his tail. "Is it working, My Lady?"

Clever dog. Speaking of clever though, Itachi smiles down at his sons in the stroller. Those two were already learning how to talk and it certainly warmed his heart.

"Daddy!" Shisui smiles up at him with those adorable bubble eyes of his.

These children had definitely inherited the Bubble Eyes Jutsu from Hinata. It was powerful. Idly, he wondered if he had ever possessed that technique for himself. Itachi quickly dismisses that thought though. It didn't matter.

"I see you two are very excited or your sisters' entrance ceremony." Itachi chuckles down at them. "That's good. Be good boys and don't cry though!" They wouldn't want to cause a scene on today of all days!

They were so cute. "Yes, Daddy!" And thankfully, so obedient.

He chuckles at that thought as Naruto calls for everyone's attention. Today reminded him a great deal of Sasuke's entrance day. The one that their own father had missed. So he had gone in Fugaku's stead.

"Alright, everyone!" Naruto beams at them. "Thank you, all for coming. I know that it means a lot to all the children."

Sasuke rolls his eyes playfully at his best friend. "He's going to drone on and on." He glances over at Itachi and Hinata, his eyes dancing with mirth. "Well all know that he will."

Hinata shakes her head at her husband's antics. Though it was clear she was more bemused than anything. As she should be.

"Uncle Naruto sure talks a lot." Ami shakes her head, causing Sasuke to snicker.

Oh yes. Aiko and Ami were most assuredly his foolish little brother's daughters. There was no mistaking their paternity now. Hinata's influence might clearly be present in some ways, but in others Sasuke had certainly left their mark. Such as their view of Naruto.

He adored them though. His nieces were his favorite Uchiha Princesses. Of course, they were the only Uchiha Princesses. Their Byakugan Princess was now more of an Uchiha Queen, but he digressed.

Hinata gives Sasuke a dirty look for snickering. "This is the start of a new school year and the beginning of all their careers as ninjas." Naruto either didn't notice what was going on or he didn't care because he continues on with his speech in what Itachi could only describe as a very merry fashion.

Now, their family had grown. In addition to Uchiha Princesses, they also had two Uchiha Princes. His adorable little sons. Who were already talking and walking.

Granted, they weren't doing either of those activities very well yet. They were only one though. In time, he was quite certain that their skills in both those areas and others would improve drastically. Their vocabulary was impressive for children in their age group though. (A fact that made him rather smug, even if he would never admit that out loud).

* * *

Elsewhere Hanabi shakes her head at her father. Oh boy. He was going to be stubborn about this.

"I still don't think that it is a good idea to teach children that small how to use Fireballs!" Alright. He might have a point. "It's too dangerous." Aiko and Ami were a little young to be throwing fire all over the place, but that was the pot calling the kettle black.

Her family taught its children how to use the Gentle Fist early on. The same went for the Byakugan. It was just their way of things and it appeared that the Uchiha Clan was similar in this regard.

Her father was well her father though. "Itachi and Sasuke weren't that much older when they learned." She'd have to calm him down somehow.

"Well that's true, but still." Hanabi laughs softly in exasperation. "They're so little." Hiashi was now the very definition of an overprotective grandfather.

It was sweet, but also more than a little exhausting at times. Hanabi was truly glad that her father had managed to forge strong ties with his grandchildren, after all. Still, they were going to be ninjas and he would need to accept that fact soon.

Ninjas were not destined to be put into bubbles and protected from the outside world forever. Besides, Aiko and Ami had several advantages over more children. Not only did they have the Byakugan. They also had the Sharingan!

"Yes, they are." She smiles at him pleading with him. "Though we all know that they'll get bigger soon and really, what are you going to say when little Shisui and little Neji are old enough to join the Academy."

Hiashi sighs and nods in understanding. Well at least it seemed like her father wasn't going to be difficult over this matter for much longer. That was good.

"You're right, of course." Yes, she was! "It's just hard to see them grow up so quickly before my very eyes. I still think of them as the small bundles that Hinata was holding in her arms back at the hospital."

She nods in understanding. All of the twins had been so cute on the day they were born and so utterly tiny. It was hard to believe that they had all been fathered either by Itachi or Sasuke Uchiha. Two of the most powerful ninjas of their era, but they had.

Hanabi smiles mischievously at him. "Well I'm glad you feel that way father." She couldn't resist teasing him. "Because your life will be so much simpler once you apply that statement to everything."

"What statement?" He raises an eyebrow.

She smirks like a cat that had just caught a canary. "That I'm always right." His life really would be much easier, after he realized that!

Hiashi chuckles and shakes his head. "You're growing more like your mother every day. She could be surprisingly arrogant behind closed doors as well." To which Hanabi just flails and protests that she wasn't arrogant.

She wasn't arrogant! Hanabi was just extremely confident! That was all!

* * *

Back at the Academy, Sasuke shakes his head as he watches Naruto drone on and on. The idiot really didn't know when to shut up. Ami was right about that.

Speaking of Ami and Aiko, Sasuke smiles at the eldest set of twins. He was so proud of them. They had already mastered the Fireball Jutsu and he was quite certain that they would master many more by the time they graduated the Academy.

 _"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Hinata shook her head._

 _Sasuke nodded. Of course it was a good idea. This was tradition. The Uchiha Clan was a Fire Clan._

 _Perhaps not surprisingly, Aoda, Garuda, and Shadow were on his side. "They'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to them." Sasuke smiled at his wife. "Besides, it's an Uchiha Tradition for Uchiha Parents to teach their children the Fireball Jutsu!"_

 _Aoda patted Hinata's head with his mighty head lightly. "Don't worry, Mistress Hinata." It was a strange sight, but the young father appreciated the support all the same. "Master Sasuke would never allow any harm to come to the Hatchlings."_

 _Itachi and his nephews were sitting nearby. Well fairly nearby, anyway. They were a respectable distance away from Sasuke, Hinata, Aiko, and Ami. After all, this was their first time trying to use fireballs and he didn't want any of them to get hurt!_

 _"Hinata, Aoda is right." Itachi smiled at her. "My foolish little brother can handle this."_

 _Hell, even Neji and Shisui were chiming in. "Go big sisters!" That was impressive. Three words at once._

 _"Arf! Arf!" Shadow smiled as he fluffed the girls and Hinata. "They can do it." The canine insisted as he looked up at the bluenette with the all powerful Bubble Eyes Jutsu of Doom!_

 _The Uchiha Matriarch shook her head. It seemed that his wife knew when she had been beaten and she had definitely been overruled in this case._

 _"Alright." She sighed and smiled at them. "Just be careful."_

 _Ami smiled back at her. "We will, mother!" And Aiko nodded in agreement._

 _The rest of the afternoon, Sasuke spent teaching them the Fireball Jutsu. Just as he had been about to give up, Aiko and Ami managed it. They each produced two large fireballs! He couldn't have been prouder!_

Sasuke smiles at them. "You should go and join your classmates. It looks like Naruto is calling you all up to the front." It was time for them to take their rightful place as Academy Students, he observes.

Ami nods her head in agreement. "Yes, Father!" As she and her sister dash off towards the other students and Naruto.

"Now, remember to study hard." The blue eyed Hokage smiles at all of them.

Pft. That was ironic coming from Uncle Naruto, Ami thinks to herself. According to her father, the Hokage had graduated at the bottom of his class. How he had gone from dead last to Hokage was a mystery to her!

He shakes his head. "And Ami, don't give me that look." She blushes slightly at being singled out, but tries to feign innocence.

"Uncle Naruto, when do we get our headbands?" Aiko looks up at him with demanding eyes.

Though Ami knew what her sister was really doing. Aiko was helping her by taking the attention off of her. Her sister was very smart like that and very, very sneaky!

The blonde shakes his head. "You will all receive a headband, if you graduate from the Academy." Ami didn't like the sounds of that.

If?! What was this if about?! Of course, they were all going to graduate! Why wouldn't they?!

"Lord Hokage, can the children go inside the Academy now?" She hears one of the parents call out. "It's getting rather hot out here." Distracting her from her unpleasant thoughts.

Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Yes, of course." He beams and opens the door. "Feel free to explore. Today is a happy day of celebrations and getting to know each other." He grins at the massive crowd though. "So be sure to ask as many questions as you like!"

Aiko shakes her head at that. Oh boy. Uncle Naruto really didn't know what he had just gotten himself into with that comment. She shakes her head again and gestures for her sister to follow her.

"I can't believe he just told them that." Her voice was barely above a whisper as they dart inside together.

* * *

Ami nods in agreement. "Me neither. Now he's going to be barraged with questions about the war and the Nine Tails!" That was the truth.

Sometimes Aiko wondered how someone as naïve as Naruto had become Hokage. She knew it was a very important position and he was very strong and loyal, but the man just wasn't that good at strategizing.

Speaking of which, they had two foolish little brothers to deal with! Shisui and Neji had just cost them their ice cream! Obviously, they had to punish them somehow.

"That's right." She looks around the Academy. "So what are we going to do about Neji and Shisui? Mother, Father, and Uncle Itachi will never believe us." That much was clear.

Of course, she couldn't entirely blame them. Creating fireballs took a lot of energy, but she knew that was only because they didn't have much chakra yet. Whatever that was!

Their parents had assured them when they got older, they'd get bigger chakra reserves. Aiko didn't fully understand what that meant, but she understood the basic principle. The more chakra you head, the better off you were when it came to making fireballs.

Still, they had to prove that they had been framed! "We'll need to make sure that they get caught in the act or a witness." Yes, a witness!

Ami tilts her head at that. "Okay, but what's a witness?" Oh. Good point.

"Well I'm not sure, but whenever you're trying to prove something, they say it's a good idea to have a witness!" Whatever a witness was! "I've seen it a lot on tv!"

Her sister just shakes her head. What?! A witness was a great idea! They just had to figure out what a witness actually meant!

"You know that Uncle Itachi says we aren't supposed to just believe whatever is on tv!" Well yeah. "He says most of it is just pretend!"

Pft. Maybe, though there was a keyword there. Most. That meant that at least some of it was true!

"Well never mind about the witnesses then." They just had to make sure their parents saw Neji and Shisui playing with fire!

That's when she hears familiar footsteps approaching. "There you two are." Itachi smiles at them as he walks over to them. "We were wondering where you ran off too inside the Academy."

Well Naruto had said they could explore. So they had explored! It made perfect sense to them!

"Yeah." Naruto beams as he walks inside. "I finally escaped from the barrage." He shakes his head. "Anyway, your dad says that he taught you how to make fireballs?" The blonde smiles at them as the girls nod their heads eagerly. "Great. Come on. Let's go outside and you can show me!"

* * *

Hinata groans in protest, but she was quickly overruled again as they all headed outside while the other students and their families explored. Neji and Shisui on the other hand were having a grand ole time. They were having lots of fun being wheeled around so much!

"Fireball Jutsu!" Ami and Aiko cast the trademark Jutsu of their Clan in unions as two large fireballs form and Naruto claps. "See?" They smile at him smugly.

Their big sisters were showing off, Neji thinks to himself. He glances at Shisui. Shisui was his brother and they always did everything together. that included fireballs.

He wasn't really sure how it worked. Neji just knew that if they worked together, they could combine something…some sort of magic and form a fireball. Just like their big sisters!

"Daddy! Mommy! Uncle!" So he and Shisui called out for their family and when their attention was focused on them, they did as their sisters did. "Fire!" And breathed fire!

The looks on all their faces was so funny! Shisui really loved silly faces and he knew that his brother did too! Unfortunately, he was tired now. He wasn't really sure that he and Neji could make a fireball.

Hinata blinks. "Girls, I'm so sorry that I didn't believe you." Shisui coos though. They had impressed them! "I just didn't think it was possible for toddlers to make fireballs."

"See?!" Aiko flails! "I told you we didn't do it! We didn't make the scorch marks!"

Itachi smirks at the display. "Well my sons can already make fireballs and they're only one." He looks at Sasuke.

The silly faces really were funny and everyone was still making them. So Shisui coos along with Neji!

"And my daughters can already activate the Sharingan and Byakugan at the same time." He rolls his eyes. "You sure you really wanna play this game?!"

Hinata just laughs and cuddles the both sets of twins individually. "Well either way, I think it's time to celebrate." Mother seemed really happy about their fireballs. "Lets go get some ice cream."

"Yay!" And so did their sisters.

Shisui wasn't sure what was happening as they were wheeled off towards an ice cream shop, but he knew that his family was happy and that was mattered most. He could figure out all the other stuff later.

As he looks at Neji, he knew that his brother felt the same way that he did. Happy, but tired. So they did what any toddler would do in their situation. They fell asleep while the rest of their family ordered ice cream.


	47. Chapter 47

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter because we're going to introduce some new members of the Uchiha Family.

 **Chapter Notation:** This takes place four years after the previous chapter. Oh and in case you were wondering, this is _**not**_ the final chapter. We still have the epilogue left. Happy reading!

Chapter 47

"Come on Asa, you can do it!" Shisui smile at the adorable toddler.

Asa was his youngest sister and she was currently one year old. At the moment, Shisui was trying to encourage her to walk.

Her midnight blue hair was flopping everywhere as she crawls and stumbles around. "That's a good girl." Sasuke smiles at the toddler. "You're doing very well."

Shisui felt very protective of his little sister. He had been the one who named her. She had been born in the morning, so he named her Asa. It meant morning.

The little girl giggles at her uncle and manages to rise to her feet again. Her dark eyes were sparkling with happiness at the praise. They might have been Itachi's trademark color, but they had Hinata's shape. Asa was also the tannest, sharing the same complexion as her father.

"Of course, she is." Itachi smiles as he strides over and picks her up for a morning cuddle. "She is my daughter."

At that same moment, Shisui notes with some amusement Kazumi was now dashing over to Uncle Sasuke. The boy definitely worshiped the ground that his father walked on. Just like Asa did for Itachi.

Sasuke smiles and embraces him. "Can I go to the Academy now too?" And he was bound and determined to join his elder siblings at the Academy.

His lavender eyes were looking up at his father with the Bubble Eyes Jutsu. The Bubble Eyes Jutsu according to Shisui's parents was one of the strongest in all of existence, but it was not infallible.

"I'm sorry, Kazumi." Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. "You can come with us as we drop them off, but you're still a bit young to be enrolled." He pats the boy's matching raven black hair.

Kazumi's name meant beautiful peace. Sasuke always told them it was because his family brought him a beautiful sense of peace. (Which Shisui found rather ironic because more often than not the ended up causing chaos everywhere they went)!

Kazumi pouts and it probably would have been a disaster, if Hinata hadn't walked in with the eldest Uchiha Children. Aiko and Ami.

"Is everyone ready?" She smiles at them.

That's when Neji scurries down the stairs and looks rather irritated. "I'm ready!" His brother was obviously less than thrilled that their sisters had claimed the bathroom first again.

Aiko was the worst about it. She was such a princess, Shisui thinks to himself. Though even Ami took longer than both of the brother's deemed absolutely necessary. At three, Kazumi was too young to have much of an opinion about such things.

"Don't give me that look!" Aiko scoffs at Neji. "I got to the bathroom first, fair and square!" She does a hair flip.

Oh no! Not a hair flip! A hair flip was often the first signal that a battle was approaching and his parents (and uncle) obviously knew that. They quickly get between the two rival siblings.

Neji's eyes narrow at her. "You always take forever though!" That was true.

"One thing that you have to learn about women, is that they often require more time to get ready than men." Itachi chuckles at his son's sulking. "Though in the case of your mother and your sisters, it's more than worth it. The results are quite stunning." He smiles and kisses Hinata's cheek.

"Suck up." Shisui makes a face and Itachi quirks an eyebrow at that.

Uh oh! Not the eyebrow! Upon seeing that, Shisui wisely decides to cut his loses. His father was a subtle man. An eyebrow was your first warning that you were possibly in trouble. Failure to adjust your behavior accordingly after seeing the eyebrow, usually resulted in loss of privileges.

Loss of privileges usually meant no allowance, training, or not getting whatever their favorite food was for awhile. Yes, in their household not training counted as a grounding of sorts.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. "Well take notes. One day, you might want to butter a beautiful woman up." His father and uncle really were such suck ups!

"We should get going or we'll be late!" Ami smiles as she leans down to pet Shadow briefly.

Hinata nods and the Uchihas all quickly set out towards the Academy. He and Neji had started attending it, only a few weeks ago. Though they were both quite certain they'd end up being at the top of their class anyway.

* * *

A few hours later, Neji was at his wits' end. Girls were absolutely crazy creatures. He had thought Aiko was bad because she hoarded the bathroom for herself, but these girls were psychotic!

"Big sisters, save us!" He quickly darts behind Aiko and Ami with his younger brother following suit.

It was now recess and that meant the harpies were chasing them again. The strange creatures that were his age, but feminine and who giggled far too much. The harpies would catch you and drag you to the dollhouses, if you were careful.

Ami laughs softly and shakes her head. "They just want to play house with you." Playing house was the bane of his existence!

He didn't want to be the "daddy" in their game of pretend! He was a ninja! He wasn't an actor and Neji Uchiha certainly wasn't their husband!

"That or make us fat with chocolates." Shisui sulks.

Yes, that as well. For some reason, the girls were intent on making them fat by constantly giving them chocolates or some other sweets. It was part of their secret plan to kill them. Neji was sure of it!

That or maybe they just wanted to make them really big. Big enough that they'd be slower. So the harpies could catch them easier!

"Well I guess you can play with us." Aiko smiles at them. "We're going to practice throwing kunais." Yeah. That sounded like a good idea!

"Really?!" Shisui beams and Neji knew why.

There were few things better for them than training with their family. Their family was filled with prodigies and training with them would surely increase their skill levels!

The girls nod and lead them to the area designed for kunai practice. "Remember, you have to be very, very careful when handling them." Ami smiles at the brothers, who just nod in agreement.

* * *

Meanwhile Sasuke glances out the window as he grades some paper. Iruka tended to supervise the playground when his children were out there. The Uchiha didn't want it known that he was playing favorites.

"They're so cute." He smiles at the sight of his daughters teaching his nephews who to properly throw kunais.

There were only two things that were troubling him really. The fact that they had all activated their Sharingans so early and Rei's death. Hinata still didn't know the truth and if he had anything to say about it, it would stay that way.

It had been years though. "Surely, if she doesn't know by now, she's not going to find out." Safety. It was probably safe.

Back to their Sharingans though, that still disturbed him. The Byakugans didn't appear to be connected to trauma in the way that the Sharingan was. So that didn't bother Sasuke as much. He was frankly relieved his children had all manifested that trait.

Byakugans were generally something a ninja would have from birth with some exceptions of them being awakened. (That was more likely to be the case when Hyugas married outside their Clan, but for some reason their children all looked like they were going to have one Byakugan and Sharingan).

"I can't believe we traumatized them that much." Sasuke sighs, feeling rather guilty about that.

 _"Mother! Father! Uncle!" Ami raced down the stairs, one day._

 _Sasuke blinked and looked at his daughter in confusion and concern. What had caused her to panic in such a way? Ami was normally such a happy child._

 _He immediately rushed over to her as Itachi and Hinata did the same. "Ami, what's wrong?" That's when he noticed it._

 _The Sharingan! Ami had activated her Sharingan! Well one of them anyway, but her Byakugan was also active. So that was it._

 _Their children wouldn't just have the Byakugan or the Shairngan. Well at least not in Ami's case. She apparently had both._

 _"My eye went red and so did Aiko's!" What had awakened their Sharingan though? "She's in the bathroom! She's really scared!"_

 _Well of course, she was scared. None of them had really bothered to explain the Sharingan yet. They were so young. It should have been years before either of them activated it, let alone both!_

 _"I'll go and explain it to her." Itachi sighed as he darted up the stairs._

 _Sasuke embraced Ami as he looked at the boys who were sleeping in their playpen. "There's no need to be scared. Your eyes are just very special." He smiled at her. "Like your mother's Byakugan, you have my Sharingan. It's a powerful gift, but it can only be activated through very strong emotions. Did something make you scared, sad, or angry?"_

 _Something must have. She was so little. Far too young for it to have been activated by the more positive method._

 _Ami looked down at her feet and Hinata hugged her. "It's okay. We won't be angry." She smiled at her daughter reassuringly._

 _"I heard Father and Uncle screaming at night." The little girl winced. "And so did Aiko. It was really scary. We went to check on them, but you had already started to comfort them, Mother."_

 _Sasuke winced as well. The cries from his nightmares had startled his young daughters so much that their Sharingan activated._

 _Hinata shook her head and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Your father and uncle didn't have happy childhoods. Sometimes, they still have bad dreams about it." She smiled at her. "They're just dreams now though. Bad memories. It doesn't matter anymore."_

 _That was right. It didn't matter. It shouldn't matter. He wasn't going to let the past haunt the present and future in this way. He would have to talk to Itachi about it._

A couple of years later, the same thing had happened to Neji and Shisui. After that, they had soundproofed their room permanently. Though Sasuke and Itahci had insisted on keeping at least one crow every room that belonged to their children. To watch them, just in case something happened.

Asa and Kazumi would either activate their Sharingans in a more natural way or an artificial one. He'd try his best to come up with something to trigger it, without putting them in actual danger.

"It is a good thing their Sharingans activated so early though." Better at home than in the middle of battle. "I don't want them to go through what I did with Haku and the Massacre." He sighs.

* * *

Elsewhere Itachi and Hinata were having lunch together at the hospital. The two of them were medics. So when their schedules overlapped, they always did so.

"We really should do something about the bathroom situation." Itachi chuckles at that.

The bluenette nods. "Exactly. Maybe install a third bathroom. We do have six children." That was true.

Three girls and three boys. It was amazing to Itachi. There were still a lot of days where he woke up and couldn't believe that this was all real. That he really had a family again. A happy one.

"That might be advisable." Asa and Kazumi were too young for it to be a problem now, but in another decade or so it would definitely be an even bigger issue. "I'll talk to Sasuke about it." Three teenage girls under the same roof was bound to be chaotic.

Though he supposed he should be grateful that arguing over the bathroom seemed to be the biggest current problem. After all, siblings were bound to clash and most of them could produce fireballs now.

They were definitely Uchihas. Shisui and Neji had both taken to fire style attacks like a fish to water. While their older sisters had learned how to use fire just before entering the Academy. He was quite certain that in time Asa and Kazumi would follow suit.

Hinata smiles and kisses his cheek. "Good. Thank you." She really was such a sweet thing. Well until one ran out of ice cream during her pregnancies, anyway.

Their children were all gifted. Aiko was a Genjutsu Mistress in the making. She could already cast specialized Genjutsus with her Sharingan. No Tsukuyomi yet, but they were still rather elaborate. This was especially the case, given her age.

"You're welcome, My Love." Itachi smiles at her.

Ami had a special connection with magic and had developed a new brand of Jutsus that she called Camouflage Style. It allowed her to become one with her surroundings to blend into the background or even turn herself into plant or wildlife for a short amount of time.

Hinata eats a cinnamon roll and nods. "I'm fortunate to have two handy husbands." She did love her sweets.

Neji had a powerful affinity for fire and wind. The boy was actually able to use something he called an Invisibility Jutsu and to magnify his brother's fire attacks with his wind. Hence, why they had been able to produce fire as infants.

"And we're fortunate to have such a beautiful wife." Itachi places his hand on her knee. "Very fortunate, indeed."

Shisui was his little firecracker. The boy had the strongest fire affinity that Itachi had ever seen really. He was also able to control temperature. While he preferred to heat things up, he could freeze them as well.

Hinata blushes at that and sips her drink. "Such a charmer." Only for her though.

Kazumi was idolized his father and well, he was as little different from his other siblings. He couldn't produce a fireball yet, but at three that wasn't unexpected. However, he could produce lightning. Who knew the Chidori was genetic to a certain extent?

"Well it's hard not to be when one has you for a wife." He smirks at her.

Finally, there was Asa. Asa was well perhaps the most unexpected case. She was only one and just beginning to learn how to walk, but her water affinity had already made itself known.

Water was one of his chakra natures, but he hadn't expected it to be dominant in any of his children. She was truly full of surprises.

Hinata laughs and shakes her head. "You're just hoping to get some playtime of your own in tonight." Well that was true. So he wouldn't even bother to deny it!

* * *

Back at the Academy, Ami smiles as she watches her brothers throw around some kunais. They were definitely getting better at it. Though it was obvious, that their chakra affinities came far more naturally to them.

"You want to hold it like this." Aiko shows Shisui again.

Still, it nothing else, she was quite confident they'd be able to pass their graduation exams later on. They were already way ahead of the kids in their year. Of course, the two of them had just enrolled in the Academy a couple weeks ago, but still.

"Alright!" Shisui beams at her. "I've got it!" And with that, he proceeds to throw the kunai towards the target.

Ami turns her attention towards Neji. "It's all in the wrist." She smiles as she demonstrates for her other brother.

Well technically, they were her half-brothers and cousins. Though Ami just viewed Shisui and Neji as her brothers and the same also applied to Asa. Kazumi was their full brother though.

It was a bit confusing having an uncle who was also married to your father's wife at the same time. She didn't mind though. Their uncle and father loved them all equally as far Ami could tell and theirs was a happy family.

Not to mention, they were also trendsetters. "Okay! Lets see how this goes!" Neji flings the kunai at the target as she continues her internal musings.

Marriages between more than two people were rare, but they were slowly becoming more popular. Ami was sure that the reason for that was partially because of her parents (and uncle). Which made her proud that her family could have that sort of impact over the village.

The kunais both hit their targets and Aiko smiles. That was better. Her brothers were really improving.

"We should probably grab our stuff." Recess would be ending soon. "It's almost time to go home."

Aiko was used to deciding things like that. She was the eldest and for the most part, her siblings were happy to follow her lead. The only thing that her brothers protested about was the amount of time she spent in the bathroom.

She didn't see why that perplexed them so much though. What was wrong with trying to look your best? After all, they were the next generation of the Uchiha Clan! They had a reputation to protect!

"Probably a good idea." Shisui nods in agreement as he darts off to get his things.

Not surprisingly, Neji followed suit. Aiko supposed that was only natural though. They were twins and she was the same way with Ami. Rarely, did you see one sister without the other. So why should it be any different with the younger set of Uchiha Brothers?

Ami grabs her stuff as well. "I can't wait until we get our headbands." Neither could Aiko.

It was the dream of every kid in the Academy though. Everyone wanted their headbands. Everyone wanted to be real ninjas!

"Me neither." She smiles. "For now, we'll just have to settle for being at the top of our class."

It was always fun to beat out the boys in the rankings! Mercifully though, Neji and Shisui were too young to be in their year or else they might have had some real competition!

"That's right!" She nods in agreement.

* * *

Later that night, Hinata smiles as she and her husbands finally managed to get the children to all go to bed. Which was always a challenge. Wrangling six kids at bedtime was never an easy task, but she wouldn't trade them for the world.

"I'm glad that they will never have to go through what I did." Itachi sighs as he kisses the top of her head. "Or what Sasuke did."

Sasuke nods at that as he opens the door of their bedroom for them. He was always such a gentleman. Well at least around her, Hinata muses as she decides to come clean.

This had been weighing on her mind for far too long. She was simply going to have to say something. This had gone on quite long enough.

"So am I." Hinata sighs as she closes the door behind them. "Is there anything that you would like to confess?"

Honestly, it shocked her that they had kept the secret for this long. Though she supposed that was likely out of a desire to protect her. It was equal parts sweet and well, infuriating.

Sasuke tilts his head in confusion. "Well not really." He smirks and points to the dress Kurenai had bought her. "Other than I'm really looking forward to seeing you wear that."

"I have to concur with my foolish little brother on matter." Itachi smirks.

She'd just have to be direct. There was no other alternative. This needed to be addressed and she was going to address it now.

Hinata shakes her head. "Well that much I knew." Her lovers certainly did appreciate it when she went out shopping with Kurenai. "I meant about Rei." Though that wasn't what she wanted to discuss tonight.

Suddenly, the playful mood of her lovers disappeared. Deep down, Hinata had always known. She had just had plausible deniability before. Now, she didn't.

"Hinata, we can explain." Sasuke reaches for her, clearly terrified.

Itachi nods, apparently deciding it was necessary to block the door. "She had just been removed from the Main House." They both thought she was going to bolt. "Rei would have sought revenge against our family and it was better to deal with the threat before it got out of hand."

Hinata wanted to be a better person. She wanted to believe that they could have reasoned with Rei. Unfortunately, she didn't believe that. Not for a second.

"So you killed her." Hinata sighs painfully as all her suspicions were confirmed.

Sasuke shakes his head. "I know that you probably don't see much of distinction, but it was her decision to leave this world." That's right. She didn't.

Hinata didn't because Rei wouldn't have made that decision without their help. Gods and Goddesses only knew what they had done to encourage her decision!

"There wasn't a mark on her besides the kunai though." Her eyes search theirs for some sign. "What did you do?" That they hadn't been unnecessarily cruel at least.

"I used my Genjutsu on her and we persuaded her to resolve the situation as quickly as possible." Itachi kisses her forehead. "I apologize for keeping this a secret, but neither of us wanted you to torment yourself over something like this."

Sasuke nods his head in agreement and Hinata sighs again. She knew it had been something like that. They really thought that they were protecting her.

Well she was just going to have to be firm with them. "I love you both, but you can't do that." Hinata shakes her head. "You can't keep secrets from me just because the truth is painful. Did she suffer terribly?"

"She suffered for awhile in his mind. A few well placed blows." Well at least Sasuke was being honest. "There was pain of course, but she had to know that we were serious. We were protecting our family."

Hinata knew that. Their reasoning was sound, but she still couldn't really condone such things. She'd have to punish them at least a little.

"You're both on the couch for a month. Your Martial Privileges are revoked for the time being." Hinata sighs, knowing she was punishing herself as much as them. "I love you and I would never leave you two, but keeping that a secret from me was not acceptable."

They both blink at the punishment. While that might seem anticlimactic to most people, Hinata knew her husbands. There was nothing they hated more than having their "Cuddle Time" taken away.

"Hinata!" Both of them were going to protest at once, it seemed. "That's not fair."

This time though, the bluenette would put her foot down. "And neither was the way the two of you killed her, if you keep arguing I can make it two months." And well, that shut them up nicely.

Sasuke and Itachi were capable of going without Cuddle Time for a few months, but they hated doing so. The only thing that much such an event tolerable was the birth of their children. Without a newborn to distract them though, well that meant the two of them were going to be taking a lot of cold showers in the near future.

Still, Hinata knew that she had made her point. Sasuke and Itachi would learn one way or another. It was a bad idea to keep a secret from your wife!


	48. Chapter 48

Sasuke's Secret

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I do appreciate all the support this story has been getting and I believe that together, we will finally shatter the 500 review mark! For those of you interested, feel free to check out my profile for information about upcoming stories or to read old ones. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy the grand finale of _**Sasuke's Secret**_!

 **Chapter Notation:** This is set a few years after the last chapter.

Chapter 48

Hinata laughs softly as she watches Aiko come running back over to them after her match at the Chunin Exams. "I did it!" Yes, she most certainly had.

Of course, the crowd couldn't really see what Aiko was doing to her opponent because she relied on Genjutsu, but she was still a fan favorite nonetheless. After all, as Sasuke was so fond of saying, who could resist an Uchiha Princess?

"Yes, you did." The bluenette smiles as she embraces her eldest child tightly.

Ami smiles at her sister. "Good job." While she was licking on her ice cream. A fact which was far too interesting to some of the nearby boys for Itachi's liking. "I'm sure we'll both be made Chunins. After all, we won our matches." He looked positively murderous.

Wisely, the boys quickly made themselves scarce and Ami remained thankfully oblivious of this. She was still far too young for such things too matter much.

"Boo!" Neji reappears and shoves one of the boys. "That's for staring at my sisters!" Before Flickering back to his family's side.

Honestly, Hinata didn't know who was worse. Her husbands or her sons. In a few years, this was going to become particularly problematic. That poor boy looked positively frightened by Neji's sudden appearance and disappearance.

She really needed to have a talk to her son about using his Invisibility Jutsu responsibly. Hinata shakes her head at that thought. Oh well. That could wait until another day. For now, it was time to celebrate her daughters' grand performances!

Shisui snickers at his brother's antics. "Good one." Well Hinata supposed that she should be grateful that her son hadn't joined in the fun. Shisui loved playing with fire.

"Shisui, behave." Itachi shakes his head in amusement.

Her husbands more often than not, were actually willing to encourage such antics! It was both endearing and infuriating at the same time. Something about it being good training.

Asa smiles as she looks around excitedly, enjoying her lollipop. "So is it over?" She wanted to support her sisters, but Asa was also tired of having random strangers pinch her cheeks.

Mother said she was supposed to tolerate such things because people were trying to be nice. She liked attention, just not cheek pinching!

"It looks like it." Sasuke nods at her. "The examiners have to convene with each other to discuss who is getting promoted. That takes time."

Asa didn't understand how it was complicated. Didn't they already have their records from the matches and the other exams? Couldn't they just average them out or something?

Oh well. It didn't matter. Her sisters had won their matches and she was sure they'd become Chunins now! Plus, her parents were in good moods now! So that meant lots of training when they got home!

So the youngest Uchiha just nods at that as she pets Shadow. "I saw a really juicy looking steak at one of the booths." Who apparently, wanted food.

"We should probably get Shadow some food." Kazumi laughs.

That was true. If there was one thing that Asa had learned over the years, it was a bad idea to keep a Ninja Dog waiting when it came to food!

That's when she notices some white out of the corner of her eye. "Uncle Suigetsu! Uncle Jugo! Auntie Karin!" She smiles widely as their family friends make their way over to them.

"Damn, Sasuke." Suigetsu shakes his head in amusement as he sits on one of his knees to get a better look at Asa. "I'm surprised that Hinata can even walk. Six kids?" He shakes his head. "Do you guys ever stop _training_?"

That's when Neji smirks. He knew exactly what Uncle Suigetsu meant by training now. So did everyone, but Asa and Kazumi.

Sasuke swats him upside the head. "Shut up." Which to be fair, Uncle Suigetsu really deserved. "You idiot. Don't talk about that in front of Asa and Kazumi!"

"You already gave the other four, The Talk?" Karin blinks in surprise.

Oh this was going to be good. Really, really good. Neji was trying his best not to snicker like Shisui did earlier, but it was so hard not to!

Itachi's eyes narrow and that's how Neji knew that the red head was on thin ice. "Yes, we did. We believe it's better for them to be fully informed about such things at an early age, but not TOO early." Well that made sense.

"What talk?" Kazumi looks around in confusion as his parents rub the back of their heads sheepishly.

Hinata sighs and kisses Kazumi's cheek. "You'll find out when you're older." Yeah! That was one way to put it!

Jugo laughs softly as he shows Shadow a steak. "We were looking for you." Of course! "So I figured it was best to be prepared. Here you go, Shadow." The dog's tail wags a mile a minute as he practically tackles the gentle giant for a piece of that steak!

"There you are, Bastard!" Naruto's voice rings out as Shisui smiles.

He smiles because the bubbly Hokage was a good friend of the family and so was Sakura. He still didn't understand how a ninja could have pink hair though. (Wasn't that a liability on missions where stealth was involved)?

Sasuke rolls his eyes at the other man. "I can't believe you're still calling me a Bastard like we're Genin or something." He smirks. "You're such a Loser."

Uncle Naruto and Sasuke sure had a funny way of bonding. Hell, even his mother couldn't understand it most of the time. Still, Shisui supposed that didn't really matter. Whatever made them happy.

This time it was Sakura's turn to roll her eyes. "You can't scold him for talking like a Genin and then talk like one yourself!" Alright. That was a fair point, but this was Uncle Sasuke. The normal rules didn't apply to him!

"Hey, Auntie Sakura and Uncle Naruto!" Aiko smiles and bounds over to them. "Did you see our matches?!"

Of course, they saw them. Naruto was the Hokage! He wasn't going to miss any of them, but whatever. His sister just wanted to show off and he couldn't entirely blame her. (It was her and Ami's special day, after all)!

Naruto laughs and messes up her hair. "Of course." He smiles at her. "You both did amazingly!"

"Do you think they'll promote us to Chunin?" Ami looks up at the man with hopeful eyes.

The blonde's laugh was positively infectious. "Well they'd be idiots not to." To which the proud Uchiha Parents all nodded in agreement.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiashi and Hanabi were currently slinking off with Guy, Tsunade, and Kakashi from the stands. They had been there watch the matches. Even Hiashi Hyuga couldn't pass up the chance to join in all the excitement today.

"You should be really proud of them." Tsunade smiles at the Hyugas. "They've all grown so much."

That was true. They had. His grandchildren were all enormously talented. Of course, Hiashi was sure that every grandparent felt the same way, but that was particularly true when it came to his grandchildren.

Hanabi beat him to the chase though. "We are." She smiles at the medic. "Extremely proud."

Guy shakes his head and pats Kakashi on the back. "Well I would say that you managed to win the bet, after all." Oh Gods and Goddesses, Hiashi really hoped that the spandex lover wasn't going to start spouting nonsense about the Power of Youth!

"Of course, I did." Kakashi smirks. "I know my student best, after all."

Kakashi smirking was actually worse than the Power of Youth nonsense! It was just disturbing to witness such an expression adorning the usually cheerful ninja's face!

Hiashi manages to shove his unease to the side though. "Well yes. I suppose you did have an unfair advantage when it came to your silly bet." He had heard about the bet over the course of the years. There were times when the silver haired ninja just couldn't resist bragging about winning it.

Speaking of over the years though, Hiashi smiles as he sees Hinata and her family. Over the years, the Uchiha Clan had certainly grown and so had his eldest daughter. Gone was the shy wallflower that had one been his skittish Heiress. She had been replaced by a proud Matriarch, mother, and wife.

Speaking of Matriarchs and Clans, Hanabi had also grown into her role as Clan Head. Hiashi wasn't entirely sure how, but she had managed the transition from a Clan with two houses to a Clan with only one rather seamlessly for the most part.

"That's true." The CopyCat Ninja winks. "Though I still won."

There were still tensions of course, but with every passing year those lessened. There were now Hyuga Children who had never known what it was like to live in a Clan with a Main and Branch House and frankly, it was preferable to the old way. There were other ways to protect the Byakugan.

He shakes his head. "Through using an unfair advantage." Hiashi wasn't going to let the man win that easily.

"Eh, only a fool wouldn't play their hand when they hold all the right cards." Kakashi chuckles and well, privately Hiashi concedes that the other man had a point.

Perhaps, that is what Sasuke and Itachi had been doing all along. They had merely been playing the right cards and it had worked out well for them. After all, they each had a beautiful wife and wonderful children (or nieces/nephews). Things had turned out well for them, despite the fact they were both deviants!

He didn't care what Hinata said. Hiashi was still thoroughly traumatized from walking on them one day! Though his relationship with the deviants had improved over the years, they were still deviants and that was that!

* * *

Meanwhile Kazumi smiles, after Shadow finishes eating. He still didn't know what talk they were talking about, but that was okay. He'd figure it out later.

"We should probably hurry, if we don't want to get crushed by the crowd." He smiles at his father and jumps onto Sasuke's back.

He liked riding on his father's back, but he knew that it wouldn't belong before such a privilege was revoked. One could only do it for so long before they looked ridiculous. So he was going to make the most of it while he could.

Sasuke smirks at that. "You're right." Then he turns his attention back to the rest of his family and friends. "We'll see you guys later. It's been a long day."

Yeah. It had been a really long day, but exciting! Kazumi had never seen so many matches before! Usually training was just done at between family, friends, or at the Academy. This was different though.

The Chunin Exams had people from all over competing! You could feel the excitement in the air. There were so many interesting people from all over and so much good food! (Some of which he didn't recognize, but he was willing to give some of the more exotic looking foods a try)!

"Alright." Naruto laughs. "See you guys later."

Sakura nods at that. "Be good and try not to burn the village down while you're training." She winks at them.

Suigetsu just smirks as the other members of Taka shake their heads. "Or flood it." The Hozuki looks at Asa with a knowing smile.

Asa has the decency to look embarrassed, Kazumi notes. He wasn't really sure why, but his little sister was the only one who possessed water for her primary chakra nature and more than once, she had flooded the house during her Terrible Twos!

"Oh stop teasing her!" Hinata shakes her head in amusement as she leads her family off.

* * *

A few minutes later as they were walking into the Uchiha District, Ami smiles. She could see Aoda waiting for them with his Mate. Yes, the giant snake had found a Mate. (Most people didn't want to ask too many questions about how such things happened, but she was a lovely snake named Kara).

"Aoda!" She beams at him as she races over to the male snake and hugs him.

The other Uchiha children soon followed suit. Naturally, Garuda flew down to see what all the fuss was about. So he was pulled into the Summon Glomp as well.

"I still can't believe that the Summon Glomp is a real thing." Itachi chuckles as he watches the chaos.

Sasuke smirks and shakes his head. "Well it is." His smirk only grows. "As Naruto would say, believe it."

There was something kinda disturbing about listening to her father say Uncle Naruto's catchphrase, but Ami brushes it off in favor of cuddling up to the snakes while Aiko pets Garuda. Her twin had always had the best relationship out of all of them when it came to the hawk!

"Did you do well on your exams?" Aoda smiles at them.

Shisui laughs and nods. "Yeah! They kicked butt!" To which the snakes nod approvingly.

Aoda was a very encouraging Summon. Her parents and Uncle Itachi always said that he was a golden retriever stuck in a reptile's body and well, that was definitely accurate Ami muses to herself.

"Oh look!" Aiko smiles as she sees a much smaller hawk come flying down towards them and holds out her arm to it. "We've got a letter and flowers?" She tilts her head at the last part as she stops petting Garuda momentarily in favor of reading the letter out loud to her family.

 _ **Dear Uchihas,**_

 _ **We saw Aiko's and Ami's matches! The two of you did great and we're sure that their little brothers and sisters will do just as well when it comes time to do their Chunin Exams!**_

 _ **Now, surely you must be wondering how the rest of Team Eight is doing. So we'll tell you.**_

 _ **I've personally got my hands full with Mirai, but otherwise I'm enjoying my new position as a fashion designer. (Being a combat ninja and a mother just wasn't working out for me)! ~ Kurenai.**_

 _ **Got my hands full with my own kids and wife, though Akamaru is now a proud father. Maybe, Shadow will enjoy having some playmates. Hope Itachi and Sasuke are still treating you right. ~ Kiba.**_

 _ **I'm enjoying my new position as an Intelligence Gathering Specialist and as Kiba says, I hope that things are going well for you. ~ Shino.**_

 _ **Oh and the reason why we're writing this letter is because we were tasked with informing you that Aiko and Ami have both been promoted to Chunin! The flowers are to celebrate.**_

 _ **Love, Team Eight.**_

 _ **PS: Hinata, I hope you still have that present I got you all those years ago. It seems like it would be a really good thing to wear to commemorate the occasion. Oh and Anko wants to know, if you want to go shopping with us soon.  
**_

"Hmm. That's weird." Aiko tilts her head at that. "I wonder what Auntie Kurenai got Mother and why Auntie Anko wants to go shopping so much?" And why did her father's look smug?

* * *

A couple hours later, Itachi watches his family at dinner. He always enjoyed this. Family dinners.

He knew that wouldn't be the case forever though. The children were growing up so fast. Aiko and Ami were now Chunins and their younger brothers and sisters were well on their way to following in their footsteps. Which meant that soon enough, they'd all be grown with children of their own and too busy to eat dinner with them every night. For now though, Itachi would enjoy it.

"So you guys never really told us how you got together." Shisui looks at them curiously as he takes a bit of his fish. "I mean I know it was considered pretty scandalous back then. Triads."

This got everyone's intention. If there was one thing that their children didn't like, it was being left out. There was no way that one of them was going to know the answer to such a question without the others also knowing.

Which was fine with Itachi. It was really only fair and he always strove to treat them all equally.

Hinata's blushing though was obviously making them suspicious. "Well it's a very long story." That was one way to put it.

"Yeah. Very long." Sasuke was also blushing, which certainly wasn't helping matters!

Not surprisingly, it was Aiko who truly took the lead. "We've got time." She really was such an Uchiha Princess.

The woman knew what she wanted and she certainly went after it. Like her father, the girl was endlessly determined. Itachi didn't know whether to be impressed or mildly terrified in all honesty. Gods and Goddesses, he suddenly pitied the boys in this village!

"Yeah!" Ami beams as she backs her sister up.

That was hardly surprising though. The twins were all very close as one would expect. Though all their children were on good terms, there was a special bond between twins that was hard to replicate. Which meant Ami and Aiko always teamed up in their endeavors. Just like Shisui and Neji did.

Apparently, even little Asa was getting in on the action though. "Yeah! Tell story! Tell story!" Hmm. Aiko must be rubbing off on her. Asa was being rather bossy today.

"You might as well tell us." Neji laughs. "You aren't getting out of it now." And now the boys were joining forces with their sisters.

It truly would have been a beautiful sight, if it wasn't so terrifying. Damn. How were they going to make this story appropriate for children to hear?!

"That's right." Kazumi grins and Sasuke looks like he wanted to hide under the table.

Itachi just shakes his head at this behavior. He was tempted to do the same, but he had a reputation to protect. He supposed that he would have to start.

He smirks at that thought. "Well it all started a long time ago with some tomatoes of all things." The children all knew about the Massacre, but that didn't mean he was going to go into details about _**why**_ Hinata had give Sasuke tomatoes.

"Itachi, stop!" Sasuke shakes his head. "It might be better, if I tell them."

Gods and Goddesses only knew what his brother was about to say! Most of their children had already had the talk, but that didn't mean that he was going to allow his brother to go into _graphic_ detail about how they had both ended up married to Hinata!

As soon as he said that though, Sasuke regretted it. He really regretted it because all of his children were now staring at him.

How did he get himself into these situations?! "Your mother gave me some tomatoes on a day that I was feeling very sad and I appreciated her kindness very much." Oh right. Itachi!

This was all Itachi's fault and Hinata's giggling wasn't helping matters. Though he could feel her hand on his thigh under the table. Well that helped a bit.

"It's alright." She smiles at him encouragingly.

Shisui tilts his head, looking more than a little skeptical at that. "I know that you love tomatoes, but I didn't think you fell in love with mother because of them." Sasuke feels himself twitch. That wasn't what he meant at all!

"It wasn't the tomatoes themselves, but what they represented that made me fall in love with her." Sasuke sighs heavily. "Though at the time, I wasn't ready to make friends and thought it would be best to leave Hinata alone. For years, I was…away and she developed feelings for Naruto. Of course, Uncle Naruto is an idiot and didn't realize this." He scoffs at that.

Hinata blushes deeply as the children all look at her widely. "It was Puppy Love. It was nothing like I have with your fathers'." Damn straight, it wasn't!

Thankfully, the children seem more than willing to accept that and prod Sasuke to continue. Gods and Goddesses, this was so embarrassing!

"Anyway, your mother ended up being our medic and Itachi discovered my feelings for her." He gives Itachi a dirty look. "And well, things got complicated for awhile. Eventually though, we all decided we loved each other and got married. And had all of you." Sasuke smiles at them proudly.

Itachi chuckles at Sasuke's rather innocent explanation. "What he means to say is that I helped him seduce his Byakugan Princess because he was too shy to make a move and your mother ended up falling in love with both of us as we did her." Causing Sasuke to twitch again.

He was going to strangle his evil brother! How dare he embarrass him in front of the children like that?! What was wrong with Itachi?! Didn't he have any sense of decency?!

"Oh. That makes sense." Asa smiles. "Wait. What's seduce mean?"

To which every other member of the Uchiha Family, falls out of their chair. Yes, even Shadow and Summons were now flailing outside.

Hinata rubs the back of her head sheepishly, after everyone had composed themselves. "We'll tell you when you're older." That only causes Asa and Kazumi to pout though.

"They always say that!" Asa sulks.

Kazumi nods in agreement. "Yeah. It's not fair." Well it may not be fair, Sasuke thinks to himself, but it was the truth.

"So that's how it essentially happened." Sasuke smiles at them. "I kept my feelings for your mother a secret for years and Itachi helped me see that I shouldn't have." He rolls his eyes. "He might be a pervert, but his heart is always in the right place and I'm very glad that I ended up listening to him or else none of us would have gotten our happy ending."

This of course causes Aiko's eyes to sparkle. "Like all the pretty princesses and handsome princesses in the stories?!" Gods and Goddesses help him, his eldest daughter was a romantic with her head in the clouds sometimes!

Hinata just laughs though. "Yes, exactly." She smiles at them. "Now, it's time for all of you to go to bed!"

There was some customary pouting, but as always his wife's words were like magic. Sasuke wasn't sure how, but she was able to corral them all with astonishing ease. It was a gift really, Sasuke thinks to himself as he watches them all head to their respective bedrooms.

* * *

"That was just like magic." Sasuke chuckles.

Itachi smirks. "Speaking of magic, I believe that we still have that purple number that Kurenai generously gave our dear wife at her the twins' baby shower all those years ago." Yeah. That purple number really was magic!

His brother was right about that much. Sasuke's Sharingan and Rinnegan activated at the very thought and so did Uchiha Pouncing Mode. For both him and Itachi, causing Hinata to squeak.

"I'll g-go soundproof the bedroom." His wife really was such a smart woman. "Soundproofing Jutsu!" She already knew what was about to happen.

Itachi counts to ten before they give chase. After all, it was only fair to give their Byakugan Princess a had start. She was outnumbered!

It didn't take them long to follow her or for Sasuke to corner her against the wall though. "Got you!" He smirks rather triumphantly at the thought.

"I locked the door." Itachi smiles slyly. "And seeing as Hinata used the Soundproofing Jutsu and the kids are in bed, we shouldn't have any disturbances for the rest of the night."

It did take some planning to enjoy _playtime_ with your beautiful wife when you had six children in the house, but Sasuke wouldn't have it any other way. He loved his children, niece, and nephews more than words could ever say.

Hinata blushes beautifully. "Well I see that you've both got this all planned out." Though it did amaze him that she still blushed even after all these years. It was endearing, really.

"Of course, we did." Itachi smirks as he nods at Sasuke. "We would be very poor excuses for geniuses, if we didn't."

Hinata just laughs and kisses them. "Mmm. I suppose that's true." Naturally, they each returned it as Itachi looks for that purple gown.

"I love you." Sasuke smiles as he caresses her cheek.

It didn't take his brother long to find it though. Kurenai really did have such excellent taste. It was no wonder, that the Genjutsu Mistress decided to become a fashion designer!

Itachi holds up the gown victoriously. "And I love you as well." Not that Sasuke could blame him. Purple was such a flattering color on Hinata!

"And I love both of you." She giggles as she takes the gown. "I guess that I should go change." Causing them both to nod their heads rather vigorously.

Hinata just laughs and saunters off into the bedroom to change. Damn that was gorgeous saunter.

Itachi watches, just as enraptured as Sasuke as. "Thank you." He smiles at him. "For sharing her, when you didn't have to."

"You're welcome, but it was her choice." He shakes his head. "And I don't mind. Besides, I guess it didn't hurt to have some extra help with restoring our Clan."

His brother shakes his head and pokes Sasuke's forehead. "You're such a wonderfully foolish little brother." Not that again?!

Why did Itachi insist on poking his forehead?! "You're never going to stop poking my forehead, are you?" He always did that!

Itachi smirks at him. That damn smirk that Sasuke didn't know, if he'd ever be able to copy. One that he was secretly a big jealous of.

"I told you that I would stop poking your forehead when you stopped being foolish." He chuckles. "Which you are never going to do. So you're correct, the forehead pokes are not going to stop anytime soon."

Whatever. He could live with the forehead pokes, he guessed. Besides, he had far more important things to focus on right now. Like Hinata in that lavender gown.

"So how long do you think it will be before one of the kids knocks on the door?" Sasuke tilts his head at Itachi.

His brother just smirks at him. "I'd say not till early tomorrow morning at the very least." Ah. That was good. That was plenty of time to enjoy being with their wife.

"Good." Sasuke smiles as Hinata comes out and the two of them pounce, pinning her to the bed playfully.

Hinata laughs and smiles at them. "Over a decade of marriage and you two still pounce me as quickly as you did on our Honeymoon." Damn right they did!

Itachi smiles and kisses her. "Well who could blame us when we have such a beautiful wife?" Yeah!

Not to be outdone, Sasuke also kisses Hinata. Luckily, their Byakugan Princess was used to this treatment and eagerly returns their kisses. Quickly. (Which was good because neither of them possessed much patience when it came to waiting for their beloved's soothing touch)!

"You're both such sweet talkers." She giggles.

"Only for you." Sasuke smiles at her because it was true.

* * *

The rest of the night passed in a blur of passion. Heated moans and tangled limbs. The three of them becoming one as they had so many times before. Hinata was right. They were still just as desperate for each other now as they had been on their Honeymoon.

When the Sun's light filtered through the curtains the next morning though, Sasuke was struck by one thought. He had really meant it when he said that. For him, there had only ever been Hinata. The Uchiha had never seriously considered anyone else and Sasuke had never regretted it.

He'd been in love with her since the day she gave him those tomatoes, whether he knew it or not and Itachi had quickly fallen for her as well. How could they not? She was their Byakugan Princess. And to think, all of this had started with just one little secret.

"That's one secret, that I'm glad I wasn't able to keep." He smiles as he watches Hinata and Itachi sleep.

True, their marriage might be a little unorthodox, but Sasuke wouldn't have it any other way. He and Itachi both had gotten to marry the love of their lives and sired six wonderful children between them in the process. What could be better than that?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. "Perfect." Absolutely nothing could be better than this.

He thinks to himself as he settles back down next to Itachi and Hinata. Intent on catching a little more sleep before their Uchiha Army woke them up, demanding breakfast. After all, he had nothing to worry about anymore. This time things were different. This time, he had gotten to keep his family and nothing would ever separate them. He'd make sure of it.


End file.
